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A STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD 



HEEl-FLY TIME 
IN TEXAS 



Written by 
JOHN WARREN HUNTER 



Price 50 Cents 



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PUBLISHED BY FRONTIER TIMES, BANDERA, TEXAS. 



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HEEL-FLY TIME IN TEXAS 

A STORY OF THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD 

As a prelude to this most interesting story, it is but proper that a brief his- 
tory be given of Ihe life of its author, Jolin Warren Hunter. He was born in 
Rogersville, Alabama, August 10, 1846, and died at San Angelo, Texas, January 
12, 1915. His mother died when he was an infant, and his father married the 
second time, and came to Texas when the subject of this sketch was barely 
ten years old, settling in Hopkins county, near Sulphur Bluff. He had one own 
brother. Rev. J. N. Hunter, for many years a minister in the Methodist church, 
and now living at Dallas; and one half brother, Rev. W. E. Hunter, a Baptist 
minister, who lives at Jourdanton, Texas, at this writing; two half sisters, Mrs. 
Newt Lyle of Roaring Springs, Texas, and Mrs. John Castleberry of Booneville, 
Arkansas. 

When John Warren Hunter was fifteen j^ears old the country was plunged 
into the Civil War, the North against the South. His older brother, James 
Hunter, enlisted in the Confederate service and rode with Forest through the 
entire war. But John Hunter was not old enough to enlist; his father was 
true Southern to the core, and often boasted that he had one son in the ranks and 
in another year he would have another fighting for the Confederate cause. But 
ere the year passed things happened that dampened the ardor of the young man 
and caused him to resolve to never lift a musket against the old flag. Living in 
the neighborhood of his father's home was a man named Howard who was 
greatly admired by the b y, John Hunter. Howard was a perfect gentleman, 
and often gave boys of the community good advice, and was loved by every 
boy for miles around; in fact he was a real friend to boys. This man Howard 
was at heart a Union man, although he kept his own counsel and did not talk 
frepl.y of his sentiments. But be that as it may, he was waited upon by a 
committee of Southern sympathizers and hung because he did not espouse the 
Southern cause. The hanging of this friend caused John Hunter to deter- 
mine to avoid enlistment or conscription, so he accordingly secured employment 
with a cotton train hauling cotton to Brownsville, and, as a teamster, he set 
out for the Mexican border, where he spent the remaining years of the war, 
and it was here that he passed through the thrilling events depicted in the 
story given herewith. 

After the war he returned to Hopkins county and found his father and step- 
mother both dead, and his brothers and sisters scattered. He went to Ten- 
nessee and there married his cousin, Miss Mary Ann Calhoun, a school teacher, 
and they moved to Arkansas, where he engaged in farming, M'hile his wife 
taught school. Now it must be remembered that John Hunter had been depriv- 
ed of schooling during his early years. He had learned to read, but had never 
gone to school. After the war he decided he ought to have an education and 
accordingly entered McKenzie College atClarksville, but his restlessness soon 
got the upper hand and he left the college after two or three months' attend- 
ance. When he farmed one year in Arkansas and ma-de a crop failure he M'as 
greatly discouraged, and was ready to come back to Texas, where he knew he 
could get a job on a ranch, for he was an expert rider and could throw the 
lariat as well as any good hand. But his wife's school was not out and he had to 
bide his time about returning to the Lone Star State. Finally his wife suggest- 
ed that he ought lo teach a writing school to help raise the necessary funds to 
move to Texas, but as he was no penman, could hardly write his own name, in 
fact, he was not inclined to the suggestion, but she was insistenrt and eventual- 
ly persuaded him to "practice" writing from some old lesson charts she had 
used when she went to school in Tennessee. After several weeks strenuous 
"practice" he became quite an adept in making "flourishes" and with growing ^ i 
confidence in his ability to wield the pen, he went over inl^) an, adjoinijjg 4eigh- , 'M 
borhood and opened a ten day's writing achool, which was so iaucceasful that he'_^' '' 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



heard my father, who was loyal to the 
TTnion, say that th3 war then being: wag:- 
ed would continue ■with increasinsr fury 
until the younjr manhood of the South 
would be sacrificed in camp and field, 
and that in all likelihood, before the 
close of another year, the Confederate 
authorities Avould be forced to adopt the 
course persued by Napoleon during the 
last years of his wonderful career, and 
by means of conscript law force every 
able-bodied male inhabitant from 16 
years of asre to 60. into the Confederate 
army. Although mj^ father had owned 
slaves and Avas every inch a Southern 
man he was opposed to the war. and vot- 
ed the TTnion ticket when the secession el- 
ection was ordered, but T had no nestroes 
to lose, did not consider that I had lost 
or was about to lose any country and to 
make a long story short, I lit out for 
Mexico. 

After a series of adventures and ar- 
rests. T crossed the Rio Grande in Janu- 
ary. 186!^. sroing to Matamoras which is 
on the Mexican side of the river, opposite 
Brownsville and about one mile distant, 
who. like myself, had tied from Texas to 
avoid the conscript law. and during my 
stay along the south of the Rio Grande 
new arrivals from the Texas side were 
weekly, almost daily occurrence. Being 
unusTially apt in picking up words and 
learning language, in the course of a 
year T had acquired a sufficient know- 
ledge of Spanish to talk on any ordinary 
topic. Brown.sville was occupied by the 
Confederate forces imder General Bee, 
who hid the place until November of that 
year, when they stampeded and left on 
the approach of the Federals under Gen- 
eral Banks. 

During the summer of 1863 large num- 
bers of the refugees — "renegades" they 
were called by the Confeder^ates — gath- 
ered in Matamoras, and being in a for- 
eign country, in a strange land and 
among strange people whose language 
they did not understand, as a natural 
consequence they became clannish, and 
having secured large quarters covering 
nearly half a block they lived together 
on the co-operative plan. The American 
consul, Mr. Pierce, came often to our 
quarters and held out glowing induce- 
ments to those who wanted to go north. 
Free passage across the Gulf and a large 
and tempting bounty was offered to 
those who would enlist in the Federal 
army at New Qrleans, and free transpor- 
Uii^R t& aB£ poifit withm the Federal 



lines to those who chose to remain non- 
combatants. I begged the men to re- 
fuse service in the Federal army. "Boys 
if you can't fight for the South, don't 
fight against it." But my exhortation 
had little efifect, and hundreds accepted 
the offered bounty, went to New Orleans 
and joined the army. 

Shortly after my arrival in Matamor- 
as I became acquainted with a gentleman 
whom I will call Mr. Cox. athough that 
was not his right name. Before the war 
he was a well-to-do farmer and lived on 
the Colorado river about four miles from 
Columbus. Texas. He was a great ad- 
mirer of Sam Houston, and like Houston 
and thousands of other patriotic Texans 
looked upon secession as the rankest 
treason and that it would overwhelm the 
South M'ith untold misfortune and dis- 
aster. He was a plain, outspoken man, 
and on account of his adhesion to TTnion 
principles he was forced to flee the ven- 
geance of his enemies — former frinds— 
and seek refusre in Mexico, his family 
remaining in Colorado. 

In the early part of February. 1864. 
l\Ir. Cox came to me and said that back 
home on the Colorado he had a span of 
large mules and that if I would venture 
that far into Texas, get those mules, and 
bring them to him in Matamoras, he 
would give me two hundred dollars in 
gold. He woidd furnish me a good 
hor.se and saddle and pay all expenses. 
He was running a hack line in the city, 
doing a general transfer business and 
stood in great need of the mules. A good 
mule at that time was worth $300 to 
$350 and there was none in the market. 
"Well but what about the 'Heel 
Flies' Mr. Cox?" said T. "The woods are 
full of those pesky Home Guards, and I 
wouldn't like to be caught." 

He assured me that my knowlede of 
Spanish Avould enable me to pass as a 
Mexican ; that hundreds of Mexicans 
were on the road with ox and mule teams 
hauling cotton from Alleyton to Browns- 
ville — Allej'ton then being at the termi- 
nus of Harisburg, Colorado & Buffalo 
Bayou railroad and only three miles from 
Columbus — and that dressed out in a 
Mexican suit, I would have no trouble in 
deceiving the Heel Flies and getting out 
with the mules. He would give me a 
letter to his wife and also a sum of money 
to deliver to her and the letter he would 
conceal so that no one would find it, how- 
ever diligent they might search. With 
route I could easily find food, shelter aud 



HEEL FLT TIME IN TEXAS 



friendship, anrl that my expenses woulrl 
be nominal. 

I studied over the matter for a few 
days and beinj? young and inexperienced 
and having a desir^.' for adventure, wliere 
there Avas no prospect of fighting, I de- 
cided to accept the offer and so reported 
to Mr. Cox, and three days hiter I crossed 
the Rio Grande, clandestinely, some five 
miles above Brownsville, and began the 
long, and at limes, lone.some journey to 
Columbus. Mr. Cox had provided for 
me a splendid Spanish horse, a good tra- 
veler, easy gaits, lithe, fleet and exceed- 
ingly strong. lie had also furnished me 
with a good saddle, quirt and Spanish 
blanket, besides a suit of clothing after 
the Mexican pattern, that when donned, 
gave me every ap])earance of being a 
"piiro Mejicano," except the light hair, 
blue eyes and fair complection. I wore 
this Mexican costume without misgiving, 
being fully convinced that I eould de- 
ceive any conscript officer who could not 
speak Spanish better than I. 

I came into tlie main road at Sal Col- 
orado, or Arroyo Colorado and pursued 
the main route to King's ranch, 125 
miles from Brownsville. As. Brownsville 
was the only port open to Confederacy 
the road was lined with trains of cotton 
wagons, and I had no trouble in obtain- 
ing food from these Mexican trains. At 
King's ranch I met a company of mount- 
ed troops, one of whom asked me about 
water on the route, while another ban- 
tered me to swap horses, but I answered 
in Spanish by which they were made to 
believe that I was an ignorant Mexican 
who couldn't talk English. 

I crossed the Nueces at San Patricio, 
where I camped with a Mexican cotton 
train. Close by was an ox train from my 
owni country in North Texas, and I re- 
cognized two of the teamsters as old 
neighbors to mj^ father. One came in- 
to camp and tried to trade for my pistol. 
He had a Mexican who belonged in the 
train and who spoke English, to inter- 
pret for him when he found I could not 
(would not) speak English. I had never 
heard a M'ord from home since the hour 
I left and here were two men, only a few 
months out from the dear old home ! I 
wanted to ask them about the kind old 
father at home, the little brother and 
sister, and the neighbor boys, who had 
gone to war, who had been killed, who 
had come home with wounds — but I dar- 
ed not say a word ; I must not make my- 
self known; they were Confederates; 



one had assisted in the hanging of the 
three Howards and two Hembys — Union 
men — at Oxford's bridge, near Charles- 
ton, and as they did not recognize me, I 
could not afford to betray my identity. 
However these two men, with others of 
their train abandoned the Confederacy 
when they reached Brown.sville and skip- 
ped into Mexico,. I met them the fol- 
lowing summer, and recalled our meet- 
ing at San Patricio. 

I crossed the San Antonio river at 
Goliad. Here I encountered the Heel 
Plies and here my troubles began. I 
had not proceeded half way across the 
public square when I was surrounded by 
about twenty boys and one or two old 
men, who informed me that I was under 
arrest and must give an account of my- 
self. A few of them had mastered a 
few words of Spanish and as I couldn't 
(wouldn't) talk English, they could not 
understand me, and I wouldn't under- 
stand them. They took hold of my bri- 
dle and with drawn pistols led me to the 
commandant's oifice. This commandant 
was the enrolling officer, and a dapper 
little bunch of hair and bluster. I soon 
learned that he had no love for the d— d 
greasers. He had lived among them all 
his life at San Antonio and Goliad, and 
he eould distinguish a Mexican from an 
American during the hours of the dark- 
est night. He could smell a greaser 
anywhere and I didn't look like a Mexi- 
can to him. He thought he had seen me 
before, and believed that I belonged to 
that gang that lived over on the Medio. 
He called on a member of his company to 
interpret me but the fellow had to con- 
fess ne couldn't understand me. Final- 
ly this little captain told his orderly to 
go round to some place in town and ask 
Miss Annie luman to come to his otiice. 
Miss Inman was a tine Spanish scholar 
and she could tell mighty quick whether 
this young fellow was a XVlexiean. When 
the orderly came back he informed Cap- 
tain Hair and Bluster that Miss Inman 
had gone out home but would be back 
the next morning. I was then ordered 
to the guard house. A man, or rather 
a boy, came and took my horse away 
while another squad marched me off to 
the earcel, the Captain taking charge of 
my pistol, saddle and blanket. In the 
guard house I found 12 or 15, about 
interpret me but the fellow had to con- 
could converse with; with Americans I 
dared not speak. Prom the Mexicans 1 
learned that nearly- all theise Americans 



6 



PIEEL FLY TIME IX TEXAS 



and two or three of the Mexicans had 
been rounded up by the Heel Flies as de- 
serters or as subjects to conscription. I 
was further told tha.t these con.sci-ipts 
would be sent under guard to Galvestoji 
Island and put to work on fortifications. 
Wlien I was first u.s-hered into the pre- 
.senee of this delectable company, a loud 
mouthed Mexican began to question me, 
and when 1 told him 1 was a Mexican he 
bawled out: "Puc ereo que estais Ameri- 
cano!" (I believe you are an American) 
I could have throttled the scoundrel, but 
I supi)ressed my wrath and soon engag- 
ed in conversation. He was under ar- 
rest charged with the theft of a saddle 
from a mule train that had camped near 
town, and as the property had been 
found in his possession, and as he had 
no witnesses to prove that he had 
bought it, the outlook was rather gloomy 
He told me lie lived on the river ixdow 
(ioliad and had been raised just across 
the river at old La Bahia. I asked him 
if he knew Mr. Inman. He said he knew 
a Mr." Inman who lived below town on 
the river. He said he was a good man — 
muy buen liombre. "He is a strong 
Union man," said he, "and is now being 
held in jail a: Gonzales on account of his 
Union sentiments," 1 questioned him 
with regard to Miss Inman. "Miss Annie 
Inman is his daugbter, " said the Mexi- 
can. "She speaks Spanish like a native 
and is well liked b)' the Mexican people." 

I felt relieved when I received this 
information. If the father lay in prison 
because he was loyal to the Union, surely 
his daughter would befriend me. If 1 
could only communicate with her before 
being arraigned before the little captain 
all would be right. Un this score 1 felt 
easy. But the Captain had my saddle, 
on which was my quirt. iN'ow, if he got 
to nosing around and take a notion to 
tear oiJen that quirt handle! 

When the guard called for me the 
next morning I gave my loud moutheit 
friend a dollar and in return r., i>ed 
his fulsome protestations of everlasting 
friendship. His name he said was i)())i 
Jose Pampelino. More anon. 

I was taken before his august poi -.po- 
sity, the little captain, about 9 o'cloclc 
and found a young lady, whom I took to 
be Miss Inman, in v/aitia'^. The cap 
tain was engaged wth another case and 
with a wave of his haml motioned me ;o 
a seat near the young laiiy whom I en- 
gaged in conversation. I drew from 
her the fact that tier fatifer was a Union 



man and was at that moment held as 
such in jail in Gonzales, the sentiment in 
Goliad county being so strong against 
him as to necessitate his removal to Gon- 
zales. I then openly declared to her my 
true identity and appealed to her to help 
me out of this extremity. I told her I 
had "refugeed" to Mexico and that I 
was then on my way passing incognito 
to Columbus, on urgent business, and 
wouldn't she help me? She assured me 
that she would do all she could in my be- 
half, and when my turn came the little 
captain had many questions to propotind 
through his fair interpreter. Miss In- 
man. I told him my name was Juan 
Montero de Garcia and that I was tin 
jniro Mejicano ; that my home was in Ma- 
tamoras; that my people, the Garcias 
were wealthy and prominent and that I 
was going to Columbus to relieve my 
brother who owned and had charge of a 
large mule train, hauling cotton for the 
Confederate government to Brownsville. 
The brother had fallen sick and the 
father had sent me to his relief. Miss 
Inraan interpreted mj- positive state- 
ment and then explained to the captain 
that there could be no doubt as to the 
truth of my story and that I was a full- 
blood, natural born Mexican, and I was 
released ! My horse, saddle, pistol, blan- 
ket — everything was restored to me and 
the little captain — now all smiles and 
eondecension tendered the Senor Garcia 
the most profuse apoligies for having 
been compelled to detain him, and he 
hoped he would pardon and forget the 
seeming indignities he had suffered. It 
was one of the most unfortunate exigen- 
cies of the war, etc. 

I never met a more worthy patriotic 
girl than Miss Inman. Before taking 
leave of her, she told me where she lived 
on the river and asked me to visit the 
family home on my return, advising me 
to avoid Goliad in the future. I took 
her advice. 

With a light heart I resumed my 
journey, little dreaming of the perils that 
awaited me. 

It was mj' intention to follow the Col- 
umbus road via HalletsTille in Lavaca 
county, but a few miles out from Goliad 
I met a Mexican mule train loaded with 
cotton and from the "amo" or "boss" 
I larned that a company of Home Guards 
was stationed at Halletsville and they 
allowed no one to pass without a most 
rigid scrutiny and not wishing to run 
the risk of another Goliad episode, I 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



changed mj' route, crossed the Guada- 
lupe below Clinton, the Lavaca at Wal- 
lace's Mill, and reached Columbus with- 
out further mishap. 

When the Civil War had advanced to 
a certain stage and the Confederate 
armies had become weakened by losses 
from sickness and desertions, in order to. 
recruit the depleted ranks, resort was 
had to the conscript system wliich re- 
quired everj' able bodied male between 
limit was extended so as to include all 
under 60 years — to go into service. There 
the ages of l(j to 4.>, — and later the age 
were certain exemptions such as minis- 
ters of the gospel actively engaged in 
their calling, phj'sicians, millers and 
many others. Also, the man who owned 
or controlled twenty negroes capable of 
doing field work was exempt. As a re- 
sult of these legal exemptions, it has 
been said .that never in all our history 
has Texas had so many preachers and 
doctors as during the last two years of 
the war. 

In order to enforce this conscript 
law law effectively, an enrolling ofticer 
law effectively, an enrolling ofticer 
to assist this ofticer, a Home Guard was 
organized in each county. This Home 
Guard was usually made up of boys un- 
der or about 1(5 years of age, and old 
men whose age and decrepitude rendered 
them unfit for the regular service in the 
army. These guaj-cls Avere expected to 
as.sist in the collection of tithes levied by 
the government on corn, wool, cotton, 
and other products and above all to aid 
the conscript ofticer to hunt down and 
arrest every man subject to military ser- 
vice. They were expected to seeii out 
and catch deserters, to do guard duty, 
and other tosks too numerous to mention. 
It may be said that the old men who be- 
longed to these comijanies were nearly 
always laid up witli rheumatism, or 
other ailments, real or feigned, and were 
seldom on duty, thus leaving tne burden 
of service to rest on these embryo heroes 
of rustic cliivalry. These lads were 
commanded generally by older men who 
were, for some cause or another, exempt 
from the regular service, but the subor- 
dinate officers from captain down, were 
usually beardless youths. In order that 
home and neighborly ties might not in- 
trude to obstruct their line of duty, these 
companies were changed from county to 
county, the company organized in one 
county being transferred to another 
county and visa versa, so that no favors 



might be shown those subject to con- 
scription. 

These rawhide soldiers soon became 
a terror to the people among whom 
they were thrown. They respected no 
age, nor sex, nor conditions. If they 
purchased an article and the vender re- 
fused the worthless Confederate money, 
he was denounced as a traitor, a Union- 
ist, the article appropriated and the own- 
er tlireatened with arrest. Returning 
soldiers, on furlough because of disabl- 
ing wounds, received in battle, were held 
up by these arrogant stripplings on the 
highway, their papers demanded and ex- 
amined, and if they chanced to be well 
mounted and carried valuable arms, a 
flaw was found in their papers; these had 
to be sent to Houston or Austin for fur- 
ther scrutiny, while the unfortunate sol- 
diers who had passed through the car- 
nage of battle at the front had to remain 
in the guard house until their papers 
came back — unless willing to part with 
horse, arms, or a moity of cash, in the 
event of which he was allowed to escape. 

The Home Guards were armed with 
such weapons of destruction as the coun- 
try could afford. Hunting or squirrel 
ritles of ancient pattern, single barrel 
shotguns, i^epper-box ijistols, an occa- 
sional iiintieia, and six-sliooters compos- 
ed the armament. When a returmng 
soldier on a furlough or discharge was 
found with a six-sUooter, it was taken as 
a lorced loan. Tlie owner was informed 
that wUile off duty he had no use for a 
six-stiooter ; that tliey needed it, since 
tney were in active service for their 
country, and that when he got ready to 
start back to the army he could have his 
pistol. Of course he heard no more of 
ills gun. 

bucU was the high-handed, outra- 
geous conduct 01 the -tioiue Guards, not 
only in a lew sections Out throughout 
tue state genei-aiiy, tnat iney obtained 
tne sobriquet oi " " iieei-j;? lies on account 
01 lae similarity oi tneir course to the 
tortuous procliiiviue.s of a pesiiterous in- 
sect so well known to cattlemen all over 
'iexas. i\o class of men, or rather strip- 
plings, in ,our great state has ever been 
the recipient of more righteous contempt 
heaped upon them by patriotic men and 
women of Texas than these Home 
Guards, many of whom may be seen to- 
day wearing the badge reserved for bat- 
tle-scarred heroes at ex-Confederates' 
Keunions, and it is stated on good au- 
thority that some are drawing a Confed- 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



erate veteran's pnsipn from the state and 
swear loudest because the stipend is not 
larjjer. 

At the time of which I write, all the 
Confederate jiorts were blockaded by the 
Federals and the towns along the Rio 
Or.ande afforded tlie only open outlet for 
cotton. Brownsville, the most impor- 
tant of these, had been held by the Feder- 
als durinoc . the winter of '63, but these 
were being withdrawn to engage in the 
Red River campaign, and Brownsville 
once more became the great cotton ship- 
]iing point, and highways leading from 
all points of the state became lined with 
mule trains laden with cotton for the 
Rio Grande. Freight rates were high 
and a vast luimber of Mexicans, who liv- 
ed in Mexico, engaged in the transporta- 
tion of the stajile from interior points in 
Texas. Alley ton, three miles east of 
Columbus, Colorado county, was the ter- 
minus of the railroad then leading out 
from llarrisburg on Buffalo Bayou below 
Houston, and thousands of bales were 
sliipped by rail to this point, loaded on 
wagons, and hauled through Brownsville, 
a distance of over 300 miles. 

As near as I can remember, Columbus 
at that time was a town of some 400 or 
GOO inhabitants. It was, as now, sit i- 
ated on the west bank of the Colorado 
river in a beautiful plain, which extend- 
ed back to a low range of hills running 
parallel with the river valey. 

The Halletsville road, by which I ap- 
proaclied, having come into that high- 
way a few miles out, descended into this 
plain about a mile southwest of town and 
pursued a northeast course. Here and 
there in this open plain were scattered 
stately live oak trees, the grass was get- 
ting green and several large trains were 
encamped, waiting to be loaded with cot- 
ton, as this was the best camping place 
to be found anywhere nearer AUeyton. 

I had no trouble in locating a train 
encampment whereat to make my head- 
quarters. Hospitality is a leading trait 
of the Mexican's religion; the stranger 
is never turned away from his gate, and 
he will divide his last scrap of tortilla 
and spend his only centavo for the hun- 
gry guest. It was near sundown when 
I unsaddled at the camp of Senor Ne- 
enoe Garcia, the owner of a larg« mule 
train waiting for a shipment of cotton 
from Houston. I received the custo- 
mary welcome at this train and after 
supper I took Senor Garcia aside and un- 
der strict coivfide^©- ^yplai^ed my mis- 



sion — told him all — and asked permis- 
.sion to remain about his camp for a few 
days and that in case of trouble I hoped 
he would help me out to an extent where- 
in he would not become culpably involv- 
ed. Although a citizen of Mexico — his 
home being near JTatamoras — Senor Gar- 
cia was in close .sympathy with the 
Unionist cause. He cherished a bitter 
feeling against the Confederates on ac- 
count of the murder of a nephew the 
summer before. He said this nephew 
lived on the Texas side and was eon- 
scripted into the army and, while sta- 
tioned at Brownsville, became violently 
insane and was placed in the guard house 
where, during one of his paroxysms, he 
was bayoneted to death by the guards. 

Senor Garcia told me that I was wel- 
come at his camj); could stay as long as 
I desired, and that in so far as lay in hiji 
power he would protect me and render 
any needed as.sistance ; that while I was 
an American by birth, yet, I was a Mexi- 
can by adoption and this being the case, 
if questioned he could say I was "un 
puro Mejicano" — a pure Mexican. He 
also warned me against the Home 
Guards. He said a company of some 
forty or fifty men had their headquar- 
ters in Columbus and that more or less 
arrests were made every day, and that 
owing to my fair complexion it would be 
a miracle if I escaped the attention of 
the Heel Flies. That night I slept well, 
realizing that I was in the tents of my 
friends. I learned that Senor Garcia 's 
train had been there in camp three days 
and would probably be there a week 
longer waiting for the cargo of cotton. 

The next mornirg I joined a group of 
Mexican teamsters and strolled aroiind 
town. In dress and manner I would 
have passed anywhere as a Mexican and, 
although considerably bronzed from ex- 
posure to sun and wind, I was in a state 
of uneasiness lest my nationality be dis- 
covered by mj' sharp-eyed countrymen. 
We passed the quarters, a low frame 
building, where the Heel Flies were sta- 
tioned and I took care to count all in 
sight — twenty-two only, and only five or 
six of these were men who seemed to be 
over twenty-five or thirty years old. The 
rest were mere boys, swaggering young 
bullies. We had occasion to pass these 
quarters several times during the day 
and I noticed that we were closely 
watched by the gallant soldiers. Late 
that evening four of them, well mounted, 
rode out to our camp aud after riding 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



around the train with eyes alert, halted 
before a group and asked for the wagon 
master. The camp cook, who spoke 
English indifferently and acted as in- 
terpreter for the train men, was called 
forward and informed our visitors that 
Senor Garcia had gone over to AUeyton 
that afternoon and had not returned. 
They next asked if all who were in the 
train were Mexicans, and the cook 
promptly replied "Yes, alle Messican; 
no gotta nobody but Messican in dees 
train," Looking straight at me one of 
them said: "You are not a Mexican." 
A.ssuming an air of the utmost indiffer- 
ence (which required a great effort) I 
turned to the interpreter with the in- 
quiry, "Que dice?" The cook blandly 
assured them that I was a Mexican and 
couldn't understand a word of English, 
after which they rode awaj^ greatly to 
my relief. 

The day following we made our usual 
rounds about town and vLsited the only 
grogshop in the place. They called 
these dispensaries of liquor, "groceries" 
in those days, and in this particular shop 
a one-legged man sold over the bar the 
most villainous decoction of liquid dam- 
nation I have ever tasted. A number 
of Heel Flies were loafing about the 
place, some of whom were drinking and 
these were noisy and boastful, and I 
heard one of them mention the vile stuff 
the one-legged man was dealing out as 
"Pine-Top Whiskey." It was two-bits 
a drink, specie, and if there was ever a 
concoction that would make a rabbit spit 
in a bull dog's eye, slap his ears, and 
dare him to mortal combat, that "Pine- 
Top Whiskey" was certainly the real ar- 
ticle. 

Nearbj' this "grocery," on another 
street was what I took to be the office of 
conscript, or enrolling officer. I have no 
means of knowing just wh^t rank he 
held, but he was a .small man with a red 
face, pock-marked, and sported a big 
mustache. Every time I passed his of- 
fice he seemed to be pretty busy. He 
kept a couple of orderlies and there was 
a small crowd about his place most of 
the time. To my sorrow I learned more 
about that office later on. 

M}^ horse liaving become thoroughly 
rested from the fatigue of my journey, 
on the third day after my arrival, I de- 
cided to visit Mrs. Cox and find out some- 
thing about those mules and the pro- 
pects of getting them out of the country. 
Before leaving Mexico, Mr. Cox had giv- 



en me clear and explicit directions as to • 
how I should proceed from Columbus in 
order to reach his farm, hence I had no 
need to make inquiry, even had I been 
at Liberty to do so. During my two 
days' stay at Columbus I had not been 
idle. I had carefully noted everything 
of a military nature worthy of notice. 
The arms, accoutrements, dress, horses — 
everything pertaining to these unwar- 
like young bragadocios — had been stu- 
died and I decided that I had not much 
to fear at their hands, yet I resolved to 
maintain the utmost caution and vigil- 
ance. 

As before stated, the Cox farm was 
about four miles below Columbus on the 
Colorado. Shortly after dark I left the 
Mexican camp an soon found myself at 
the goal of my hopes. When within 
a short distance of the residence, I con- 
cealed my horse in a grove and stealthily 
I made my way to a point near the house. 
I heard voices at the house and soon dis- 
covered that a party of merry-makers 
had possssion of the home and were hil- 
ariously celebrating — probably the re- 
turn of some soldier boy from east of the 
Mississippi. I found concealment in 
the shrubbery, sufficiently near the 
house to enable me to hear the conversa- 
tion and the songs rendered by merry 
voices. They sang "The Contraband," 
"Girl with the Home-Spun Derss," and 
other popular songs of that war period. 
I remember yet a couple of stanzas of a 
song, .sung with a spirit that night by 
three or four male voices. They ran 
something like this: 

Old Honest Abe, you are obeyed 

For military glory; 
An arrant fool, a party tool, 

A traitor and a tory. 
"You are a boss, a mighty 'hoss' 

A-snorting in the stable ; 
A racer too, a kang'Oroo, 

But whip us if you're able. 

To me the hours seemed long and 
weary, and I suppose it was jiast the 
hour of midnight when the crowd broke 
away and left. I waited until all be- 
came still and quiet. A light gleamed 
from a window and I knew that some- 
one, probably the lady whom I wished to 
see was yet astir. I realized that the 
crucial moment had ari-ived, although I 
was burdened with many fears and mis- 
givings. I knew not how many revelers 
remained; there niight be several of the 



10 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



Home Guards in the house to spend the 
night, and in the act of approaching the 
mistress of the house I might run up 
against a "Heel-Fly." But at length 
I decided to hazard everything in an ef- 
fort, and stepping lightly on the porch, 
I rapped softly at the front door. A 
femine voice within said: 'Who is that?' 
' ' Is that you, Mrs.- Cox ? " I askd. ' ' Yes 
who are you and what do you want?" 
came the reply in low soft tones. "I 
am a stranger, Madam, from Mexico, and 
have letters from your husband for you." 
In an instant the door was opened and 
the lady asked me to come in and be 
seated. I declined, prefering to remain 
voice, inaudi])le to any who might chance 
under cover of darkness, and in a low 
to be within, I told her of my disguise, 
my mission, and who sent me, and then 
gave her my quirt and told her to rip 
upon the handle and she would find a let- 
ter from her husband concealed therein, 
yhe insisted on my remaining until morn- 
ing, assuring me that she thought I 
would be safe under her roof. When I 
mentioned the Heel Flies she laughed and 
said there would be Mttle danger from 
that source, and gave me the startling in- 
formation that her son was lieutenant 
in the company of Home Guards station- 
ed in town; that he had accompanied a 
young lady home from the party that 
night, and she was expecting iiis return 
at any moment. She assured me that 
he- would not give me away, but would 
befriend and protect me as far as he 
could. I told Her that her husband had 
advised me not to sleep uuder any roof 
alter liaving crossed the Wan Antonio 
river and tnat, with the exception of one 
niglit spent m the guard house at Goliad, 
1 nad oDserved his admonition and that 
unaer no circumstances would I consent 
to sleep in tUe liouse where there were 
licel i'lies under tfle same roof and that 
1 woulu go back io camp, but would wan 
on tue oucsicie until sue had read her 
liubund's letter. 1 then withdrew to my 
liuiaig place where i had been but a few 
iiiomvais wnen 1 heard the clatter of 
horses' feet and I drew the conclusion 
that her son was returning, and if he 
sluHild prove obstreperous I might soon 
be in the hands of the Heel Flies. 

The horseman came to the gate, dis- 
mounted, threw his saddle on the fence, 
led his horse around to a lot, and entered 
the house from the rear. I then went to 
his saddle and examined it, but found no 
arms. From the fence I drew near the 



house and for one time in my life did 
some "eavesdropping." I could hear 
the lady's voice as if reasoning or plead- 
ing, and could hear a male voice, but 
could not understand what either was 
saying. After some little time the lady 
came out into the yard and said: "Come 
on in, you are, safe." I made no reply. 
Her son 'then came out and she said, as 
if speaking to him: "I do wonder if he 
is gone!" After a pause she called 
again, "Young man, come on in, you are 
perfectly safe; don't be afraid." Moved 
by this assurance I emerged from the 
darkness and went in, they, mother and 
son, leading the way into a room where 
a flickering lamp— an old saucer filled 
with grease into which a twisted rag was 
submerged, forming a wick — cast a sick- 
ly light over the surroundings. I did 
not fancy the young lieutenant's looks. 
I soon sized him up to be a spoilt boy, a 
sour-natured chap, and not to be trusted, 
although he seemed quite affable and of- 
fered me a chair, but I noticed that he 
was careful to place his own chair be- 
tween me and the door, where a shot-gun 
sat against the wall in easj- reach. This 
riled me and I thought the best policy 
then and there would be to put on a bold 
front and be plain at the outset and I 
said to the lady: "Madam, I suppose you 
have read Mr. Cox's letter by this time 
and you surely know that I am not play- 
ing false. You have assured me of your 
l^rotection, and on that assurance I have 
placed myself in your power to some ex- 
tent, but I don't tike the looks of things 
here and you, young man, don't you dare 
to reach tor that gun. i learn that you 
belong to the Heel 1^'lies up in town but 
3'our mother has told me that j'ou are 
all right and 1 hope it is that way. Your 
father employed me to come here and I 
am working lor your interests, and there 
must be no misunderstanding. As you 
see, 1 am prepared to take care of myself 
1 Isnow that at a word you can have ail 
your Heel J^ly comjjany after me, but i 
want to tell you that it will be a bad day 
for some of you before you ever get me 
in your guard house." Of course this 
was in the nature of a "bluff" and I 
learned later that I had been too hasty 
and formed the wrong opinion of the 
young man. 

The mother explained by saying that 
the feeling had been so strong against 
her husband on account of his being a 
Union man, that her son was compelled 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



11 



to join the Home Guards to save their 
property from confiscation, and that, 
while his sentiments were like those of 
his parent, to all appearances he had to 
be a "good Confederate." The young 
man confirmed all she said and told me 
that he would shield me from all danger, 
and that I could rely implicitly on his 
word. When this point was settled the 
conversation turned to the subject of 
my errand. The lady informed me that 
the two mules, in charge of a younger 
son and a neighbor, had been started the 
day before to Fort Bend county on the 
Brazos for corn for the horses belonging 
to the Home Guards and they would not 
be back under four or five days. All the 
difficulties of the situation, pro and con, 
were discussed, and it was agreed that I 
should remain incognito about the Mexi- 
can encampments near town, until the 
fifth day, which fell on a Friday, at 
which time during the night I was to re- 
turn to the Cox home and if the mules 
had arrived, final arrangements were to 
be made for my departure. When this 
was settled upon, the mother withdrew 
to an adjacent room to prepare a lunch- 
eon and this gave the young man a 
chance to talk. He told me a great 
deal about the Heel Flies and their de- 
vilment; the tyranny of the conscript of- 
ficers, and the hardships of the people. 
He showed that those who refused to vol- 
unteer and were arrested were sent un- 
der a strong guard to Galveston Lsland 
where they were compelled to drill sev- 
eraal hours each day with heavy artillery 
and that, owing to exposure, bad wuter 
and poor rations, the mortality was fear- 
ful. He further stated that his com- 
pany, then at Columbus, had been sta- 
tioned at Hallettsville and that a com- 
pany from Victoria, in which there were 
a number of Mexicans, was expected to 
reach Columbus soon and his company 
would be sent to Victoria. During the 
day, he said, he had to be with his com- 
pany, but very often he had to leave to 
spend the night with his mother at home. 
He had seen me in town -and his suspi- 
cions had been aroused as to my being a 
real Mexican; others had become suspi- 
cious and he had advised me to stay out 
of town. He further informed me that 
these Home Guards were serving almost 
■without pay since Confederate money 
was worthless, and that on this account, 
the temptation to steal rob and take 
bribes, was almost irresistable. No one 
wanted to go into the army and those 



who could get away were going to Mexi^ 

CO. 

I enjoyed .a well served post-midnight 
supper with that hospitable mother and 
son, and, although urgently solicited to 
remain until morning, and given every 
assurance of safety, I resolutely declin- 
ed; bade them goodbye, and a short 
while before dawn I reached Senor Gar- 
cia 's camp on the outskirts of Columbus. 

The morning after my visit to the Cox 
home Senor Garcia called me aside and 
informed me that he was sorely afraid 
that I was going to get into trouble and 
that my presence in his camp might in- 
volve him. He said those "Soldados" 
as he was pleased to call them, were 
watching me and that he believed his 
camp was under continual espionage. 
The evening before, and while returning 
from AUeyton and passing through town 
he had been held up by a brace of the 
Heel Flies who seemed to be in wait for 
him. He was taken before an otficial 
whom he took to be a colonel, or some 
other functionary, who put him under 
some sort of an oath and quizzed him 
closely to know if any American, soldier 
or citizen, had been stopping at his 
camp at any time since ins coming to 
Columbus. The examination, he said, 
was conducted through an interpreter 
who didn't know enough Spanish to ask 
for bread. He told them no Americans 
had been about his camp except a few 
citizens who had brought eggs and but- 
ter to sell, a few teamsters inquiring for 
their stock, and a few of the Jlome 
(iuards. He told me he did not regard 
the oath they admiiiistered as binuing 
and as he could not understand tUe in- 
terpreter's blundering rendition, and be- 
sides be wasn t sworn on tUe cross nor 
on tUe gospels, and furthermore, tUe man 
wno aumimstered tne oaiU was ""uu 
iiereje, a Ueretice. Tlie senor was a 
aevout Catnoiic. i assured him that i 
Had no desire, whatever, to cause him 
trouoie, mat i had no lears for my own 
saiety, out if it was nis wish i would go 

elsewhere and seek shelter, a course 
which I very much disliked as a change 

to another encampment would tend to 
confirm the suspicions of the authorities 
and force me to leave sooner than I ex- 
pected. He told me he wanted me to 
remain, but insi-ste^ that I use more cau- 
tion and stay away from town, which I 
promised to do. 

Later in the day the senor came to 
me and expressed some doubt as to my 



12 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



ability to get away with those mules. 
"What if, mule like, they should beconje 
stubborn and refuse to lead? I would 
have to neck them together and, and 
Avhat if they should refuse to be driven? 
He told me of a young man who, owing 
to some misunderstanding, had been dis- 
charged from another mule train and 
M'as anxious to return to Mexico but did 
not care to go alone. I told him to 
send for the Mexican, and when he came 
it did not take \is long to close a deal. I 
found him to be a comely young man of 
ready address, prepossessing appearance, 
and far above the average in intelligence, • 
and he impressed me as Senor Garcia 
had said, as a man who could be trusted 
with entire confidence. His father at 
one time had been a merchant in Corpus 
Christi, where the lad learned to speak 
Engli.sh; later he moved to Oaxaca, Mex- 
ico, where, ou the breaking out of the 
War of the Intervention, 18C1, the 
young man enlisted in the Liberal army. 
At the siege and capture of Puebla by 
the French in May, 18(58, he was taken 
jirisoner, later escaped near Vera Cruz, 
and with others, boarded a vessel and 
landed at Bagdad at the mouth of the 
llio Grande, where he joined a mule 
train as teamster and later accrSinpanied 
the train to Columbus. The name of that 
young Mexican was Ciriaco- Lopez, and I 
must say that on that day began a 
friendship between the writer and that 
young man that has existed to the pre- 
sent day — a friendship that the lapse of 
time has cemented by renewed tokens of 
affectionate regard, covering a period 
of more than 4(j years. 

I remained close in camp all day with 
my new friend, Don Ciriaco, who gave 
me a history of his career as a soldier, 
and expressed his intention to rejoin the 
Liberal army on his return to Mexico. 
The next morning about 10 o'clock, I 
noticed anAmerican boy lingering about 
the camp, carrying a bridle on his arms 
as if stock hunting He looked to be 
about 11 years old. After loitering 
around for some time and .seeing me 
alone for a moment he timidly drew 
near and in a tone of voice scarcely audi- 
ble said: "Aren't you the gentleman 
that saw my papa, Mr. Cox, in Matamor- 
as?" "Yes, Bud," said I. "What is it 
now?" "Well," said the lad, bright- 
ening up, "I am Jim Cox. My mother 
says for you to come tonight at 12 
o'clock," and without another word, or 
waiting for a reply, the boy was off. I 



called to him as he moved away but he 
only pointed in the direction of town, 
which gesture I understood to mean 
"heel fly" and he soon disappeared in 
the direction of the river. 

Here was another perplexity. Those 
mules could not have returned from the 
Brazos so soon, and why should the lady 
summon me to her home at such an un- 
reasonable hour? Could it be that her son 
the gallant Lieutenant in a "Heel Ply" 
company, C. S. A., had turned traitor to 
his father's best interest? Evidently 
there was villiany abroad somewhere. 
I recalled the adage that a seci-et is safe 
in only one bo.som. Here my secret was 
known to four— myself, Mrs. Cox, her 
two sons, and the Loixl only knows how 
many others. I consulted Henor Garcia 
but he was equally puzzled, and could 
only forecast troublesome times ahead. 
He was of the opinion that there was 
treachery somewhere, and advised me to 
take Ciriaco Avith me that night. I de- 
cided to follow his counsel, and long be- 
fore midnight we were in concealment 
in a grove near the Cox home. I in- 
structed Ciariaco not to tie out horses, 
but to hold the reins in his hands and to 
be on the alert for cei'tain signals agreed 
upon in case of distress, and we also de- 
cided on a place of rendezvous in the 
event of a separation. We had no 
means to determine the hour but liavidg 
decided that it must be near 12 o'clock, 
I stealthily ventured up to the house, 
rapped on the door, and, Mrs. Cox ap- 
peared. Her lieutenant son was absent 
and she had much to tell me, and for 
that reason she had sent her youngest 
son that morning that I might come and 
be warned of my danger, and hers. On 
the night of the party a young lady, who 
lived in town, had attended, and remain- 
ed overnight. She thought she was 
asleep In another room but she believed 

now .she was awake and listening. At 
any rate the "Heel-flies" were on mj' 
trail and they were going to arrest me 
as a deserter from Benivide's regiment, 
then stationed along the Rio Grande. 
Her son had posted her and instructed 
lier to advit^e me to "make tracks." A ^ 
squad of tho.se "Heel Plies" had taken 
supper at her house that night. They 
had two men whom they had arrested 
in the river bottoms that evening and 
were taking them to the guard hou.se in 
Columbus where there were twenty-two 
prisoners being held, most of whom were 
to be taken to Harrisburg on the next 



HEEL FLY TIJIE IN TEXAS 



13 



train. She was greatly worried. She 
wanted her husband to have those 
mules; they were liable to be seized at 
any hour; even now they were hauling 
corn for the Heel Flies, but she saw no 
chance for me to escape with them. I 
must not wait another day; if I tarried 
longer T would be arrested. She had 
friends in Lavaca county, about twelve 
miles from Halletsville, on the Lavaca 
river. Tf I could go there and wait she 
might be able to send the mules to me. 
But she had no one to send except the 
little bo3', Jimmie, and she could not 
think of sending him so far alone. With 
part of the money I had delivered to her, 
sent by her husband, she could bribe 
one of the Heel Fly officers to take the 
mules as far as Lavaca, but she needed 
every cent of the money and, besides, 
the plan was fraught with too much 
danger. Exposure meant the confisca- 
tion of all she had left. I told her her 
suggestions were to the point if she 
could vouch for the honesty of her La- 
vaca friends. I explained that I had 
emploj'ed a reliable Mexican, who was 
at that moment nearby, and that he 
would take any chances to assist me. I 
would start the next morning and go to 
her friends on the Lavaca, while my 
Mexican coiild wait around Columbus 
Tuitil the mules came in from the Brazos. 
She could notifj' him and when all was 
in readiness, he, accompanied by her 
son, Jimmie, could start with the mules 
and by hard riding could cover the dis- 
tance in one night. She suggested that 
the Mexican could get through without 
her son. I interposed the objection 
that owing to existing prejudice again.st 
the Mexicans he would likely be arrest- 
ed if found traveling through the coun- 
try with a fine span of mules, and I was 
sure my man would not assume the risk. 
I told her I had the utmost confidence 
in him and was willing to trust him, and 
that I saw no other means of escape 
with those mules. She consented to the 
arrangement, and in order of a full and 
eom]irehensive understanding of the 
program agreed upon might be had, I 
went to the grove and had Ciriaco ac- 
company me to the house and introduc- 
ed him to the lady. After some conver- 
sation with him, I could see that she was 
favorably impressed and, like myself, 
was willing to tru.st him. Every detail 
of our plans were gone over and arrang- 
ed in Ciriaco 's presence in order that he 
might clearly understand the program 



and to the execution of which he pledge!" 
his faithful service. This being settled 
upon, Mrs. Cox gave me directions as to 
how to find her friends on the Lavaca 
river. I was to go to A. B. McDonald 
and tell him my business and who sent 
me. Mr. McDonald, she said was an. 
old pioneer Texan and an old time 
friend to her husband and family. At 
heart he was a Unionist, although he had 
a son in Garland's regiment, then east 
of the Mississippi, and a younger .son in 
the Lavaca Home Guards, but he was a 
true man and was never known to be- 
tray a friend. Shoidd I fail to find Mr. 
McDonald, then I was to go to Judge 
Riley Tate, Tom Hogan or old Dr. Pon- 
ton, all of whom were old Texans and 
friends to Mr. Cox, and from either of 
these men I would receive any aid I 
might need. Ciriaco was directed to 
follow the old Atascosa (corrupted into 
"Tuseaseet") trail leading out in a 
southwest course from Columbus, until 
within ten miles of the Lavaca, then due 
west until he came to the crossing at 
Mayo's Mill, which was only four miles 
from A. B. McDonald's. After crossing 
tlie Lavaca they would come out in a 
settlement where they could obtain in- 
formation. Having reached an under- 
standing, we arose to leave when Mrs. 
Cox took from beneath a mattress the 
identical quirt I had previously ileliver- 
ed to her, and charged me to deliver it 
back to her husband I rea liiy p]-o)u- 
ised, and >vithf;tit further ceremony, 
bade this nob' j lady goodbye, not know- 
ing that I would ever see her again. 

Next morning Ci.-iaco asMsted in my 
preparations for departure. When 

mounted I usually carried my pistol in 
my morral where it was quite conven- 
ient in case of neeti. On this particular 
morning I placed my pistol in this mor- 
ral and over it I placed a package con- 
taining lunch, and one or two other 
small articles, thus hiding the weapon 
from view. My reasons for doing this 
was 1o make it ai)pear that I was an un- 
armed traveler. While making this pre- 
paration, Criaeo asked me to aceomjjany 
him to the M-agon train in which he had 
served and ascertain when he could get 
some money yet due him. If he could 
get the wagon master to agree to pay 
him on a certain day, then I would know 
when to expect him on the Lavaca with 
the mules. I consented and, after tak- 
ing leave of the kind Senor Garcia, \Vc 
rode away to the encampment which was 



14 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



about 500 yards distant. As we mount- 
ed I noticed an unusual number of 
horses and mules about that train and 
called Ciriaco's attention to the matter, 
but he suggested that perhaps his form- 
er boss was getting ready to load up. 
There were 25 or 30 large wagons in 
this train and, according to custom while 
in camp, these wagons were corralled 
for convenience and protection. While 
approaching, we could not get a view of 
this corrall, but as we came nearer I not- 
iced several horses saddled near the en- 
trance. This looked suspicious, but 
Ciriaco scouted the idea of danger. We 
rode through the "puerto" or gateway 
of this corral to find ourselves covered 
with more than a dozen guns and six- 
shooters in the hands of as many "Heel- 
flies," the most brigandish looking set 
of boys I ever faced. "Throw \ip yer 
hands, Mister Mexican-White-Man! 
Hit's you we want. Been a-looking fer 
ye right smart while. Got ye now!" I 
asked Ciriaco to speak to those men and 
find out what they wanted. T saw an 
amused look about my Mexican's face 
and was a little surprised at his coolness 
when he said: "Thees Mexican don'ta 
spek Ingles; he don'ta un'stan' what for 
you wanta heem." "The hell you say," 
snorted a lean, cadaverous long-hungry, 
flourishing an old pepper-box pistol. 

"If he can't talk 'Merican, we'll lai-n 
'im. But he can spout it all right when 
he wants to an' 'fore we git done with 
him he'll bleat 'er out fast. Cap'n Baker 
can spit the Mex'can lingo some hisself 
and he'll soon find out if he is a greaser 
or a Cajen." By this time they had 
siezed my horse by the bridle, and with 
their villianous guns held almo.st against 
me, they mounted and marched me off 
towards town. They made no effort to 
search me for arms, and as we started, I 
turned and called back to Ciriao: 
"Hasta luego, Caballero! No ha riesgo, 
ostos malditos no son peligrosos!" and 
with a wave of the hand my man shouted 
back: "Ojala, Compadre ! Ojala!" 

As before stated, I had concealed my 
justol in a morral which hung at my 
saddle bow. I wore a close fitting or- 
namented Mexican jacket, or round- 
about, and in this garb it could be plain- 
ly seen that I was unarmed. At no time 
had I worn my pistol while in Coliuubus, 
as I knew the cupidity of these "Heel- 
flies" and not having seen me armed at 
any time, I suppose uocouuts for the 



fact that when arrested they made no 
attempt to search me. 

As we started out from the train, one 
of these tail-enders of Home Guard man- 
hood tied a rope around mj' horse's neck 
and boiind the other end to the horn of 
his saddle and when his brave com- 
panions mentioned the fact that such 
proceedure was useless, as they had 
their guns on me and a man on each 
side, one holding my bridle and others in 
rear and front, and that I could not pos- 
sibly escape, he answered by saying: 
"Can't be too keerful. They haint lo 
tellin' 'bout these greasers, an' this 
dandy lookin' feller might rattle his 
hocks if he gits half a chance." And 
then cam.e a wrangle as to who should 
have my horse, one or two claiming that 
this fellow had placed his rope on the 
animal in order that he might have a 
better chance. 

A thousand thoughts oppressed me 
as we rode toward town. Chagrin pos- 
sessed me, in that T had deliberately 
rode into a trap and had been caught 
like a rat, and that, too. by a gang of 
ragamuffins too contemptible for a pe- 
lone dog to bark at ! Then came an op- 
pressive sense of dread. They had 
boasted that Captain Baker "could spit 
the greaser lingo too." Evidently, 
Captain Baker was the gentleman whom 
I had sized up as being the provost mar- 
shal, and what if he should prove to be 
a better scholar than I? With these 
thoughts and forebodings, Matamoras 
never seemed so far and Galveston Is- 
bnd so near on that cloudy morning at 
Columbus, and the prospect of involun- 
tary servitude as a soldier in the Con- 
federate army became oppressively 
glowing. 

When we had reached Baker's office, 
which was about a block and a half 
from the building u.sed as barracks and 
'n a northwest course from the public 
souare, the office fronting north, my 
captors remoA-ed the rope from my horse 
and dismounted and as they did so. 
Captain Baker came out. congratiilated 
tliem on my cajiture and dismissed them, 
leaving me in charge of a gander-eyed 
chajj who seemed to be on duty at the 
office door. From the conversation I 
overheard, it seemed these fellows had 
been out on a scout since the evening be- 
fore, and hence their dismissal to quart- 
ers when we arrived at the office. I 
had dismounted with the rest and as 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



15 



they rode off my new custodian, by 
words and signs, ■directed me to hitch 
my horse to a post which stood about 25 
feet from the office door in the direction 
of the court house square. I made note 
of this and, in fact, all the surroundings 
with an eye to escape. 

Several loiterers had collected by this 
time and it was interesting to hear their 
rude comment, "He don't look like a 
Mexican!" "He's a deserter trying to 
get to Mexico!" "Captain Baker can 
beat any Mexican talking Spanish and 
he'll find out might.y quick what he is!" 
These and other remarks went the round 
and, in effect, were anything but en- 
couraging. 

The sentinel directed me into the au- 
gu.st presence of Ceptain Baker. His of- 
fice was a little box concern, about 14x 
18 feet, with a door opening north on 
the street and an open window, without 
sash, on the right of the door. On a pine 
table, at which his Highness sat, were a 
lot of papers, an old sword and a villian- 
ous looking Colt's pistol. I was offered 
no seat The loiterers crowded into the 
room and I was kept standing, waiting, 
while the captain seemed to be busy 
looking over some papers. Finally he 
pushed them aside and fixing a steady 
gaze upon me, as if trying to read my 
thoughts, he said gruffly: "So you 
claim to be a Mexican, eh?" With cool 
assurance I replied: "No entiendo, 
Senor, no hablo la idioma Ingles." (I do 
not understand sir ; I do not speak En- 
glish.) "You no understand, eh? You 
vive in Mexico? Comy sammy?" (What 
is your name?) These three ouestions, 
fired almost simultaneously, revealed 
the man I had to deal with and I coulJ 
have shouted with laughter. Here was 
the dreaded official who could "spit 
Spanish" and could put a Mexican to 
shame talking the "greaser lingo!" 
"Comy sammy" for "como se llama," 
was the key to his ignorance of the 
Spani.sh language, and I felt secure on 
that score. However, in his broken, 
blundering way he proceeded with the 
examination. He took down my name, 
or rather the name I gave — Juan Mont- 
ero de Garcia — and questioned me as to 
my nationality. With a mixture of bad 
English and Spanish he said my blue 
eyes, fair skin and light hair betrayed 
me, and that he did not believe I was a 
Mexican. I told him that there were 
many Mexicans who had complexions as 
fair as any American ; that I had come 



to Columbus on honorable business; that 
I had made no attempt at concealment 
but, as he well knew, I had appeared 
daily on the streets with my companions 
and that I had plenty of witnesses to 
prove that I was "un puro Mejicano." 
When I mentioned "testigos" (witnesses) 
a new light seemed to . dawn on his 
befuddled mind and, throwing down his 
pen, he said: "All right go bring your 
witnesses. You say your father is here, 
bring him along too. (I had not told 
him my father was there.) You may be 
a Mexican but I don't believe it. And 
see that your witnesses tell the truth. 
You bring a lot of greasers in here to lie 
for you and I'll have every one of you 
shot. Do you understand me?" During 
this "preliminary" a man was brought 
into the room wearing a ball and chain 
and guarded by two of the "Heel-fly" 
lads. He was a brigandish-looking in- 
dividual and T Avondered how these little 
milksop soldiers ever managed to catch 
him. He appeared to be a prisoner of 
noteriety and the little room was soon 
filled with a motley crowd of "Heel- 
flies" and others, among whom I noticed 
Lieutenant Cox. As I turned to push 
my way through the crowd to the door 
the captain said: "Lieutenant, this 
Mexican has one hour to bring in his 
witnesses. See that he has them here in 
that time." Cox paused ju.st out.side 
the door, while I proceeded to my horse 
and was in the act of unhitching when 
the man on guard at the door threw a 
rusty old shot gun down on me and said : 
"Let that ar horse alone; leave 'im right 
whar he's a-standin'!" Lieut. Cox re- 
peated the order and advanced to where 
I was standing, swaggering, an swear- 
ing but when close to me he said in an 
under-tone: "Leave your horse; go 
round the block — watch your chance." 
Cox's movement attracted the attention 
of the crowd on the ,,outside and with a 
"Si, senor teniente; .ya me voy." I walk- 
ed briskljr away. 

I kept uji this brisk walk, not daring 
to look back, until I reached the corner 
of the block, where, instead of going on 
in the direction of Senor Garcia "s camp, 
I lurned south and .slackened my gait to 
a slow walk. When I reached the next 
corner I turned east, continuing as dir- 
ected by Lieutenant Cox, around the 
block. When I reached the street lead- 
ing past the captain's office I saw that 
every man on the outside had crowded 
into th« door and the window, craning 



16 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



their necks to see and hear what was go- 
ing on within. They seemed oblivious 
to everything outside that office ; even 
the sentinel was not in sight, and I sup- 
posed they had crowded him out of the 
doorway The man with the ball and 
chain evidently was on trial and the im- 
]iortance of his case had overshadowed 
that of the man M'ho claimed to be a 
Mexican. My horse stood as I had left 
him at the hitching post, only a few 
steps from the corner. I had been in- 
structed by one having authority to 
watch my chance. "Here it was, and I 
took it. I mounted my horse and rode 
slowlj^ away until I had turned the cor- 
ner, out of view of those at the little of- 
fice, and I was off. 

While sauntering around that block 
before securing my hoi'se, I surveyed 
the surroundings and decided upon mj' 
course. To the southwest and west for 
quite a distance was the open plain, a 
large portion of which was in full view 
of the building occupied as barracks by 
the "Heel-flies" and also the corral and 
guard house where a sentinel stood 
guard. It would not do to try to escape 
across that open plain. Just below 
town there was a large field extending 
along the river to the edge of the village 
and a road led out from town between 
the field fence and the bank of the river. 
In this field there was a depression, or 
shallow slough, extending from the 
northwest corner of the field, diagonally 
in the direction of the '^outh boundary of 
the enclosure, which latter I would gue^, 
contained a hundred acres more or less. 
When the river was swollen, its waters 
backed up and cornered this .slough. I 
had noted this field and the road leading 
out and along the river bank, while loit- 
ering in town a few days before, but I 
had not traveled over it. 

I chose the river route, aiming to 
reach the wooded river bottoms below 
the field. This route necessarily lead 
me across the court house square, just 
before turning into which, T saw a body 
of eight or ten horsemen leaving the 
square on another street and going in 
the direction of the captain's office. 
These appeared to be men — not boys, — 
they were well mounted, ami one rode a 
large- '.vhite hor.se. I turned aside and 
waited several minutes for these men to 
get out of sight, and by this act I lost 
valuable time, whicli came near being 
my undoing. In fact, it seems they had 
reached the office before I got across the 



square and evidently I had been seen 
while trying to avoid them. At all 
events, my sudden flight had doubtless 
been discovered about the time they 
rode up to the captain's office. To 
avoid attracting notice. I rode in a trot 
across the court no\\-,c squn'C and wh.^n 
I turned into the old rofid leading down 
the river I piit my Jiorsa ar a good speed 
and had goi'c but a short distance when 
to my utter cha:;'in, I found that a re- 
cent rise in the Colorado had waiihed out 
the bank up to the .."e v. The road had 
come to the "jumping off" place. The 
fence was of rails and "staked and rid- 
ered." I rode up and tried to throw off 
some of the rails; failing in the effort, I 
had to dismount and finally succeeded 
in tearing down the fence so that my 
horse could leap over into the field. I 
remounted and as my horse vaulted over 
the fence, my morral became unfastened 
and fell to the ground, causing another 
moments delay while recovering it. All 
this consumed time, and seconds were 
mo.st precious just then. When I had 
secured my morral I heard the sound of 
liorses' feet and glancing back, lo and 
behold, there came those -wicked "Heel- 
flies!" There were four of them and 
they were coming down the road at full 
speed, not over 2'i() yards di.stant, and 
wlien they saw that I had discovered 
them, they 0])ened fire with their pistols 
even at that great -distance, and began 
yelling at me to halt and .surreder. 

The recent rise in the Colorado had 
filled the slough, or draw, in the field 
with water which now stands in places, 
although the waters of the river had 
subsided. The draw remained a slough 
of mud and slime and had the appearance 
of an imfathomable bog, Init as I was 
hemmed and cornered 1 must cro.ss it or 
be eaptui-ed. It was my only means of 
escape and I was fully determined not 
to be caught again by those tatterdema- 
leons. My resolve wa.s formed on the 
instant and putting spurs to mj' horse, 
he was .soon lo Jiis flank in mutl and 
slime. My valiant pursurers were still 
blazing away at me and as their bullets 
did not knock any miid or water in my 
face, I wondered if they were only fir- 
ing into the air merely to make a noise 
and to keep up the excitement. The 
width of this bog could not have exceed- 
ed forty feet and it was only after a 
most desperate struggle that my horse 
reached the opposite side where the 
ground was firm. 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



17 



When onee across the swag, horse 
and rider covered with mud, I tiirsed to 
see how my pursuers were progressini;. 
They had reached the gap I had made 
in the fence and one of the rascals had 
dismounted to throw off a rail or two. 
When I saw this, I felt greatly relieved. 
My horse had leaped through that g-T 
with all the ease and when I saw that, in 
order to get their iiags over, they liad to 
throw off more rails, I knew liiat such 
an outfit could never catch me. In 
truth, I became amused at the thought 
and like little wanton boys in the sport 
of playing "base," I was ready to give 
them a dare." 

In order to escape any stray bullets 
which might accidently hit me, I gallop- 
ed oif a short distance in the direction of 
the west string of the field fence which 
bordered on the ojien plain below and 
southwest of town. Here I halted,, 
turned and faced the gallinipper quar- 
tette to see if they hadn't any more 
sen';e than to ride out in that mud hole. 
When they saw this movement they halt- 
ed near the edge of that bog and with a 
profusion of great oaths ordered me to 
recross and surrender, else they would 
come over and get me, and in less than 
no time I would be in h — 1. I turned 
my horse as if to light out, seeing which, 
the four bravos dashed like ducks into 
that bog. I stood to see the fun, and to 
witness the struggles of those poor boys 
and their beasts would have been pitiful 
under other circumstances, yet, I was 
so amused and elated over their discom- 
fiture that I shouted with merriment. It 
was a ■ sight long to be remembered. 
Three of the poor nage, became hopeless- 
ly bogged and the antics of those three 
defenders of their country, while flound- 
ering around in that slime and mud, was 
a sight to make a sphinx roar with 
laughter. The ludicrous phase of the 
situation caused me to forget all caution, 
which came near proving my ruin. Only 
one horse and rider made it across to 
solid ground and seeing their sad plight 
I was seized with foolish impulse to cap- 
ture tlie whole squad. With drawn pistol 
and a whoop I bore down on the young 
chap who had reached dry ground and 
ordered him to surrender, and in so do- 
ing I employed about as plain English as 
he had ever been accustomed to hearing 



while chasing Union men out of the coun- 
try or guarding them in prisons. The 
poor fellow seemed frightened half to 
death, and throwing up his muddy 
hands, exclaimed: "For the Lawd's 
sake, Mi.ster, don't shoot! You wouldn't 
shoot an unarmed man, would J'e!" 
"You lie," shouted I. "Where's that 
pistol j'ou were firing at me awhile 
ago? Throw it down or I'll blow out your 
infernal lights!" "Mister, I swear I 
haint got no pistol. I drapped hit in that 
mud hole. I haint a thing to shoot 
with," said he. "I have a notion to kill 
all you scoundrels; you have tried to 
kill me," said I, addressing the fou. One 
of them, all of whom' Avere crawling 
back to dry land opposite, said: "We 
warn't tryin' to kill ye, Mister, we wuz 
,iust a shootin' to see ye run!" I coitld 
have killed each of the four, but had no 
desire to injure them. In truth I pitied, 
i-ather than censured, those poor mis- 
guided boys. 

All this occurred in much less time 
than is required to relate it, and duijing 
that brief time a graver danger con- 
fronted me. While bandying with those 
slime-besmeared boys at the slough, I 
chanced to look in the direction of town 
and saw a body of horsemen coming 
down the west string of the field on the 
outside, and under whip as if to cut me 
off and catch me, and one of these was 
mounted on a large white horse, evident- 
ly the one I had r.oticed before crossing 
the public square. I wheeled my horse 
and sped for the fence — the west string 
—and without dismounting, threw off a 
few rails and my horse cleared it with 
apparent ease. When these approach- 
ing horsemen saw me make a break from 
the slough, they raised a yell, increased 
their speed, and began to shoot. I did 
not take time to count them, but I would 
have guessed there were at least fifteen 
and probably twenty. They did not all 
o]ien fire until I had passed over the 
fence, by which time they were near 
enough to make their bullets whiz un- 
pleasantly close. 

Before mS lay the open plain to the 
foot of the ridge southwest of town and 
\\here the Ilalletsville road left the plain 
was bare of timber growth, the prairie 
extending to the crest of this ridge 
where a dense undergrowth set in, and 



Magaz 



THIS STORY APPEARED IN FRONTIER TIMES, a monthly ^-si 
zine devoted to Frontier History, published at Bandera, Texas. '^ 4' 



^::. 



18 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



extended westward several miles. The 
race for life and liberty was now on, an^ 
the brush over the ridge was the goal. I 
had a fairh' good start. I knew the 
metal and endurance of my horse and 
with the possible exception of the large, 
wliite horse, who was now leading the 
rest, I felt confident that I could out- 
strip them and escape. I did not believe 
they would shoot to disable my horse. 
They wanted him more than they cared 
for the rider. Looking hack, when half 
wa.y • across the plain, I saw the white 
horse still in the lead and gaining on me, 
while three others were close at his 
heels. At the same time I saw several 
horsemen pouring out of town and I 
wondered if every Heel-fly in the coim- 
try had joined in the chase. It was prov- 
ing a test of speed between the white 
horse and the animal I rode, and before 
two-thirds of the distance (about a mile, 
had been covered, I found that the 
space was lengthening between pursuer 
and pursued. When I reached the crest 
of the hill where the chapart 1 set in, I 
turned to face the enemy. The man on 
the white horse and three others had 
reached the incline and had started up 
the ascent. A hasty glance showed a 
straggling string of horsemen— all en- 
listed in the chase. I waved my hat, 
gave a cheer and offered those nearest 
me a very profane remark in good- clear 
plain English, turned the crest of the 
ridge and took to the brush, safe, sound 
and free. - 

As before stated, the timber extended 
from the crown of this ridge, which ran 
parallel with the river valle,y several 
miles. This forest was a thick growth 
of Black Jack and other species of tim- 
ber peculiar to South Texas, and after 
having ridden a few miles at a gait as 
fast as the undergrowth would perlnit, 
I slackened my rein and allowed my 
horse to recover to some extent from the 
effects of the chase. I felt that I was 
safe, for the reason that nothing but a 
bloodhound could follow my^trail in that 
wilderness. I bore off in a southwester- 
ly course and about ten miles out from 
Columbus I struck the old Atascosito 
trail, which I followed the remainder of 
the day. During the preceding twen- 
ty-four hours a high wind had been 
blowing out of the east, and about 1 
o'clock that evening rain set in and con- 
tinued in a steady downpour until mid- 
night. This rain, driven by a cold east 
wiud, ohiUed me through and caused in- 



tense suffering. Late in the evening, as 
I approached the Navidad river, I saw 
through the sheets of falling rain a cabin 
in the distance and decided to seek 
shelter there for the night. It seemed to 
be a lonely habitation, with no other set- 
tlements near, and was directly on the 
bank overlooking the Navidad, which 
was considerably swollen and still ris- 
ing from the day'.? flood of rain. The 
storm was too fierce for me to think of 
lying out under a tree all night, and I 
would risk the sheltering roof of that 
lonely cabin. A lady came to the door 
when I rode up and in a quick, hearty 
response to my request for a night's 
shelter said: "Why yes, get down and 
come right in out of the rain. We have 
not much room and our fare is very 
humble, but you are welcome." I dis- 
mounted and her little son, a manly lad, 
took my horse saying: "You are wet 
and cold; go in to the fire. I will take 
care of your horse." As I stepped on 
the little cabin porch the lady met me 
at the door as if to reassure me, said: "I 
live alone here Avith my three little chil- 
dren, and we are very poor, but I want 
you to feel as welcome as if you were 
under your father's roof." Cheering 
words ! Words that every stranger and 
wayfarer heard on entering the cabin 
homes during the earlier days in Texas! 
A glowing fire burned in the little cabin 
fire-place and while seated before it and 
answering questions, I began to survey 
the suroundings. There was no fence 
about the premises, and through a small 
window near where I sat I saw the boy 
lead my horse into a little clap-board 
barn shed about thirty steps north of 
of the cabin, and remove my saddle, 
which he hung on a peg. I saw him 
take my pistol from the morral, examine 
it with boyish curiosity and sight it at 
some object, replace it carefully, and 
start to the house. The lady comment- 
ed on my costume and asked where I 
lived. I told her my home was former- 
ly in Hopkins county but I was now liv- 
ing in Mexico. She asked me why I 
was not in the army and I told her I 
was a Unionist and had gone to Mexico 
to avoid the conscript law, and that ur- 
gent business had taken me to Columbus 
and that the Heel Flies had chased me 
out and I was now on my way back to 
Mexico. "My husband is in Mexico," 
said she, "if yet living. He is a Union 
man and had to flee for his life. We have 
not heard from him itt a great whil«." 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



19 



Scarcely had she 5>aid this when one of 
her little girls said: "Look mother, 
yonder comes some men!" We rushed 
to the door and saw three horsemen 
coming at a run, from the same direc- 
tion I had come, and one of them rode a 
big white horse ! They were those in- 
fernal heel-flies, and I felt myself 
treed again! "Madam," I said," "those 
are Heel Flies. I escaped from them 
this morning ; I would rather die than 
be taken Can you help me out of this?" 
"This way, quick! Can you swim?" she 
asked. "Swim? Yes I can swim the 
Atlantic." "Here get out through the 
back way. Swim the river, it's not wide. 
Get into the bush on the other side and 
you'll be safe. Quick!" I made a break 
for the back door, passed out, and hit 
the water with a spla.sh that might have 
been, heard above t heroar of elements. 
Te current was not very swift and I soon 
reached the opposite bank and with some 
difficulty scrambled up through the mud 
and I thought of the poor fellows I had 
led into the bog that morning. I found 
mj'self in a forest of wild peach trees. 
an evergreen indigenous to that region, 
with a dense growth of underbrush. It 
was now night and the darkness was 
soon impenetrable. I found a perch on 
a log and gave myself over to medita- 
tion. I was a blankety blin'i fool for 
having engaged in such an entorprise. I 
coveted gold and the prospect oi' getting 
it was gone glimmering, 'f was lured on 
by the spirit of adventure. T had about 
all I wanted in that line, and I s\vore 
that if I got out i^f th.'it scrape with .'.ii 
unbroken hide, I would never be caught 
again in the Heel Ply range. What a 
fool I was to put up at that house ! Far 
better to have camped under a tree, 
stood in the rain all night and held my 
horse by the bridle. But I must stop at 
a house to be chased out like a coyote by 
the infernal Heel-fles, and now they had 
my horse, my saddle and my pistol ! Oh 
fool for leaving that pistol in the morral! 
They were at that moment quartered at 
the house not 100 miles away and were 
watching for my return to that barn 
shed. At dawn they would be abroad 
heating the brush and searching every 
nook in that narrow river bottom. They 
woidd scour the country round, and my 
capture was inevitable! Even if I should 
escape they would have my horse, sad- 
dle and pistol These I could afford to 
lose, but there was my quirt. It would 
fall — had already, fallen — iiitq their 



liands, and should curiosity lead them to 
remove the leather covering from the 
tube (handle) they would find Mrs. 
Cox's letter to her husband, and she 
would be ruined ! Already she avus 
under the ban of su.spicion; her husband 
had been run out of the country for be- 
ing a Union man loyal to his flag, and 
now a refugee in Mexico. The revela- 
tions of this letter would lead to the con- 
fiscation of all her property and she, 
witli her children, would be turned 
adrift, homeless. The surroundings 
made me desperate. If I only had my 
gun T would recross and shoot it out with 
those Ileel-flie.s, and recover my horse at 
all hazards. Here I was, sitting on a 
log in the rain, cold, wet and hungry, 
while some of the scoundrels were oc- 
cupying a warm bed where, but for them 
I might have been sleeping in peace. To 
add to the gloom a bevy of owls set up a 
wild, wierd chorus in the trees overhead. 
It must have been n'ear the midnight 
hour, when ghosts are said to go abroad 
and satjTS dance along the glebe. The 
rain ceased and a cold wind came doAvn 
out of the north, an but for the moan of 
this norther among the trees, the chorus 
of the owls and the low "voice of many 
waters" as they swept along in the now 
swollen torrent, the stillness would have 
been unbroken. 

I resolved to make one more effort. 
I was yet free, and to remain free I must 
recover my horse. I put into the river, 
which was now bank full. I had be- 
come so chilled and benumbed that the 
water seemed warm and gave me relief. 
When I reached the opposite bank I re- 
moved my shoes and, with cat-like tread, 
slowly approached the barn shed. I 
had secured a piece of driftwood to be 
used as a club, and expected to encount- 
er a Heel-fly at any moment. As I en- 
tered the shed my horse gave a low 
whinney of recognition! 

Groping my way >n darkness I found 
my sadlle where I had seen the boy place 
it, my pistol was in the morral undis- 
turbed, and my quirt was where I had 
left it, at the horn of my saddle! What 
could all this mean? Could it be possible 
that those ra scale, were in the house 
asleep waiting for daylight to catch me? 
My fir.st impulse was to saddle my horse, 
lead him some distance up the river, tie 
him in a thicket, then go back and look 
for the enemy's horses and if found to 
get off with them, but I gave up this 
idea and decided to fijffet locate their 



20 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



stock. I searched carefully about the 
premises and found no horses, and there 
were no saddles on the little porch nior 
about the barnshed. ftoing to the south 
end of the house, 1 discovered a ray of 
light beaming through a small crack in 
the wall of the shed room. Stealthily 
drawing near, I peeped through the 
aperture and saw the lady seated by the 
dining table, mending a garment by the 
dim light of a grease lamp. The fire 
burned low in the rude chimney place 
and the .stillness was broken only by the 
wind which blew out of the north. By 
this light I located the doorway of the 
shed-room ami at this door I rappeil 
lightly Wit'-out a word, the lady bound- 
ed to the door, tl-rew it open and said : 
"Come right in! Ailen't you nearly 
frozen? Where in the name o' sense 
Vave you been? I have been nearly 
frantic. I feared you had drowned 
while trying to swim that swollen 
stream." I felt annoyed at her loud 
voice ; if the heel fles chanced to be 
asleep in the adjoining room her chatter 
would wake them and T might have to 
take to high water again, and, shivering 
with cold, I cut her oif by stammering 
out: "Wh — whe — where 's the He — Heel 
— heel flies?" At this she dropped the 
poker with which she was stirring the 
smouldering embers, straightened up and 
almost screamed with laughter. "Heel 
flies!" she fairly shouted. Then another 
paroxysm of laughter. Recovering, 
she repeated with emphasis and merri- 
ment in her voice: "Heel-flies? Why 
there ha.sn't been a heel fly" on this place 
for more than a week and I dare say 
there is none nearer than Columbus.You 
don't hear of heel fles stirring out in 
such weather as this. Oh, you poor 
silly boy!" and this was followed by an- 
other outburst of laughter. But I was 
relieved and I did not care how much 
she laughed at me. I felt real sheep- 
ish at having been so easily scared off 
in that storm and I was anxious for an 
explanation. 

With intervals of merriment over my 
plight, the lady added more fuel to the 
little fire and soon a roaring fire was 
blazing on the hearth. Changing her 
tone to a more serious one, she said: 
"Now sit over here and get warm. I 
am sorry I have no dry clothes to give 
you; sit here, and while your clothes are 
drying by the fire I will prepare you 
something to eat. Poor boy! I know 
j^ou are hungry 1" 



Forty-eight years have spend by 
.since that memorable night and never 
at feast or carnival have I enjoyed a 
better meal than that served by the 
noble good woman on that stormy night 
in the then wilds of the Navidad. Dried 
beef and coarse com pone was the menu. 
It was all she had to serve and it came 
with a Texas mother's blessing, and ap- 
petite gave relish to the humble fare. 
While partaking of this repast, the lady, 
whose name was Mrs. Davis, gave an ac- 
count of the causes that led to my scare 
and stampede. She stated: 

"Those men you saw were not Heel 
Flies. In fact they, too, were running 
from the Home Guards. One of them 
is my brother and lives three miles be- 
low here on the river. My brother and 
one of those who came with him yester- 
day evening were conscripted about a 
year ago and detailed to drive teams in 
Johnson & Rhine's cotton trains. They 
made one trip with one of these ox 
trains to Brownsville and came near go- 
ing over into Mexico, but finally decided 
to stay awhile longer with (the train. 
This train wintered at Sweet Home over 
in Lavaca and about a month ago these 
two boys, with others, received orders 
to report for duty at headquarters in 
Houston. This they knew meant hard 
service in the army and they resolved to 
%o to Mexico. They left the cotton train 
at Sweet Home and instead of going to 
Houston they came home, and before 
they could get ready to leave for Mexi- 
co they were reported as deserters and 
were given a world of trolible by the 
heel fles and were finally captured about 
a week ago and taken to the guard house 
in Columbus. Thej- were to be taken to 
Ilai-risburg tomorrow — I mean today, as 
it is now past midnight and the begin- 
ning of another day — but this morning — 
I mean yesterday morning — the men held 
in the guard house made a break and 
all got away, and the three men you 
saw tonight were among the number 
that had escaped and were making for 
home and the brush on the Navidad. My 
brother. Wilej' Clampit is his name, came 
by with others to let me know about his 
escape and some other private matters, 
and while here they told me about the 
stampede of th^ prisoners. They didn't 
tarrj' long enough to give all the parti- 
culars, but I gathered this much : It 
seems that the heel flies had arrested a 
deserter from Benevides' regiment at 
Baucho Davis on the Rio Oraoide. Ha 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



21 



had been dodging around town and was 
being harbored by Mexicans camped at 
Columbus and was badly wanted. At 
last he was arrested by a bunch of heel 
flies and brought to town, where he 
made a break to get away. Every heel 
fly in the place except two, who were on 
duty at the guard house, mounted and 
took after the deserter, and when last 
seen they were closing in on the poor 
fellow and they doubtless caught him. 
One of the prisoners, seeing that about 
all the heel flies had .ioined in the chase, 
said 'Bo.vs, noM''s our time!' and made 
a break. They overpowered the guard 
siezed all of the arms and ammunition to 
be had and rushing to the corral they 
found only eight o-.- ten horses, and some 
with and others without saddles, mount- 
ed these horses and got into the Colorado 
bottom above town. My brother and 
Mr. Gollihar and Jake Hamersley, the 
three that gave you such a scare last 
night, secured mounths and struck for 
the Navidad, and—" "Which one rode 
the big gray horse?" said I. "That was 
Charley Gollihar." 

In reply to my inquiry as to what 
these men were going to do she said 
the.y would have to leave and try to 
make their way into Mexico. She said 
her husband was somewheee in Mexico, 
he having been forced to leave or take 
up arms against the ijld flag, and that 
since the night he left, over two years 
before, she had not heard a word from 
him. She was almost whoU.v depend- 
ent on her father, who was old and poor 
and unable to render much assistance. 
I told her of my going to Mexico in or- 
der to keep out of the army, my mission 
to Columbus, and that I was the suppos- 
ed deserter the heel-flies chased out of 
Columbus, and that I was on my way 
back to Matamoras and if her brother 
and friends wanted to join me I knew 
the road and could take them through ; 
that with a half a dozen determined men 
I could clear the road of any gang of 
heel flies we might encounter. "Make 
them run oflt' and leave their arms and 
horses, swim rivers, hide in the brush 
and keep company with the owls!" said 
she, with a laugh that betokened incred- 
ulity as well as merriment, and I was 
abashed by the force of the remark. 

It must have been 3 o'clock in the 
morning when I tumbled down on thi 
rude pallet that good mother spread for 
me on the floor of the little shed room. 
The rain had ceased, the clouds broke 



away, the north wind roared without 
and I slept until awakened by the little 
boy just as the sun began to shine down 
on the plains of the Navidad. "You 
have no time to lose," said my good 
hostess. "The heel flies will swarm 
along the Navidad today in search of 
my brother and the other two men, and 
you had better make tracks." I told 
her I aimed to reach the McDonald set- 
tlement over on the Lavaca and remain 
there a few days, and if she would direct 
me to where her brother lived I would 
ride by and see him. She said her 
brother and the boys with him were well 
acquainted on the Lavaca and that 
doubtless they were at that moment on 
their way to "Somers League," a noted 
hiding place on the Lavaca river. They 
knew the Hogans, McDonalds, Tates, 
Heaths and Pontons, and that her broth- 
er was courting Miss Sue Chandler, who 
lived near Dr .Ponton's, and if I would 
be on the lookout I could probably see 
him before he started to Mexico. 

Breakfast, the same humble fare — 
corn pone and dried beef — over, I pre- 
pared to take my leave of this interest- 
ing family. Before the war this noble 
woman, accompanied by her husband 
and parents, left Ohio and came to Texas 
and had begun to establish a pretty 
home in the wilderness when the war 
came on and the husband had to either 
take up arms and join in the slaughter 
of his countrymen, or .seek asylum in a 
foreign land. He chose the latter and 
here, by the way of parenthesis, I wish 
to say that up to January, 1872, no word 
had ever been heard from him by his 
family. Not only gratitude, but deep 
compassion, for this poor brave woman 
and her little children, two bright little 
girls and the boy, Davy Crockett. These 
children told me they had no shoes dur- 
ing the past two winters, and their 
clothes, although tidy and clean, showed 
age and long usage. "If you see my 
papa in Mexico, tell him we pray for 
him every night and all the time. 
Mamma says God will bring him back 
to us when the war is over," was the 
message given me by the youngest of the 
two little girls. vhe mother gave a 
long message full of love, hope and 
Christian faith and trust to be delivered 
to the husband in the event I should 
meet him. Oh the short, simple and of 
times pathetic annals of the poor ! I 
bade them goodbye and left them better 
than I found them. It was all expense 



22 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



mojiey, as I had none that I could call 
ni.y own ; at any rate it would have been 
all the same, and the joy of giving to 
that distressed mother and her little 
helpless cliildren has lasted through all 
these long years. 

It was a bright spring irtorning, the 
wind subsided, the sun shown bright 
and clear and the air was vibrant with 
bird song. I swam the Navidad and 
shaped my course for Mayo's Mill on 
the Lavaca. The flat prairies in most 
places were covered with water from 
the late rains, and my progress was ne- 
cessarily slow. Ab(;ut 11 o'clock I came 
to a mott of timber where I found a 
spot eonii)aratively dry and here I dis- 
mounted and allowed my horse to rest 
and graze a couple of hours. While he 
grazed near the edge of the copse, I lay 
down on tlie damj) ground and slept an 
hour, when a shrill voice awak- 
ened me. For a moment I was com- 
pletely addled, but when I recovered 
my senses and took in the situation, my 
surprise was beyond expression. My 
visitor was a woman ! Superblj' mount- 
ed, wearing a black dress and sunbonnet 
sitting as erect as a cavalry officer, with 
a sixshooter hanging at her belt, com- 
plexion once fair but now swarthy from 
exposure to the sun and weather, with 
steel-blue eyes that seemed to penetrate 
the innermost recesses of the soul — this, 
in brief, is a hasty outline of my visitor 
—Sally Seull ! 

Anyone who lived for any length of 
time in South Texas before the war, 
knew this remarkable woman, and there 
are those all over West Texas who yet 
remember Old Sally Skull, who was 
perhaps the only female desperado, dur- 
ing her career, that operated between 
the Sabine and the Rio Grande. Sally 
was once a Miss Newman, so I have been 
told, and was of good parentage. By 
marriage she was related to Creed Tay- 
lor and the Tumlinson's and for. a num- 
ber of years moved in the best society, 
but she fell and the remainder of her 
life was spent in camp or on the road. 

Sally Skull spoke Spanish with the 
fluency of a native and kept in her em- 
ploy a number of desperate Mexicans 
whom she ruled with the iron grasp of 
a despot. With these she would make 
long journeys to the Rio Grande where, 
through questionable methods, secured 
large droves of horses. These were driv- 
en to Louisiana and sold. This occu- 
pation was followed uatil the breaking 



out of the Civil War, after which Old 
Sally fitted out a mule train of several 
wagons, with Mexican teamsters, and 
engaged in hauling cotton to the Rio 
Grande. 

I met Sally at Rancho Las Animas, 
near Brownsville, the year before and 
subsequently had seen her several times 
in Matamoras, and strange to relate, she 
knew me when she aroused me from my 
sleep in that copse. She told me that 
her mnle train was loaded with cotton 
for the Rio Grande, but owing to the 
bad weather she had lain in camp on 
the Lavaca near Zumwalt's for more 
than a week. Several of her mules 
lad strayed off or were stolen and she 
was then on her way to look for her 
stock on the Navidad, and seeing a lone 
horse u.\ar a mott, she came by to inves- 
tigate, and that acounted for her pre- 
sence in that vast solitude. She told 
me that the heel-flies were numerous and 
active on the Lavaca and that unless I 
exercised the utmost caution they would 
sure catch me. With all her faults 
Sally was never known to betray a friend 
and I made no hesitancy in confiding to 
her all of my troubles and my situation. 
She told me of a spot known as Somer's 
Thicket on the Lavaca, in which a num- 
ber of men had found refuge from the 
conscript officers, and that the heel-flies 
were organizing a raid on that thicket. 
She knew A. B. McDonald, Tom Hogan 
ami the Tates, and told me they were 
good and true men and that I could re- 
ly on them. "Bidding this remarkable 
woman goodbye, I mounted and hasten- 
ed forward to the Lavaca, having re- 
ceived instructions from Old Sally as to 
the route leading to Mayo's Crossing. 

Late in the evening I crossed the La- 
vaca by swimming just below Mayo's 
Mill. A short distance from the river 
I came into the road and fell in with a 
lone horseman and the "pill bags" he 
carried sliowed that he was a doctor, and 
such he proved to be. He told me his 
name was Bellah, and knew all the par- 
ties for whom I enquired and gave me 
directio-* to reach Mr. McDonald's. He 
asked me to what command I belonged 
and seemed surprised when I told him I 
was a citizen of Mexico, did not belong 
to anj' command and did not expect to 
enlist in any army. I had cast aside 
all disguise except my dress, and felt 
emboldered to face the situation now 
that I was in a region where I would 
find so many sympathizers and friends. 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



23 



The doctor advised me to be on the look- 
oTit for heelflies, which he said were 
very numeroi;s aud troublesome, and if 
I remained long they would be after 
me. I told him I had heard that it 
would be difficult to catch a man if he 
once got into the Somers Thicket which, 
I supposed was somewhere in that sec- 
tion. He said that was even true and 
that we were riding over a part of the 
Somers' League and that along the river 
a mile below Somers' Thicket set in. It 
covered a large scope of country; it 
was densely timbered and was a vast 
wilderness of undrbrvish, vines, tangle- 
wood, with long moss pendant, from the 
larger timber, with here and there an 
open glade, and that when a man sought 
concealment there it was almost impos- 
sible to get him out. As a hiding place 
for criminals and outlaws it was equal 
in ever}' respect to the Jernagin Thicket 
in North Texas, and there were quite 
a number of men at that moment hid- 
ing from the heel flies in Somers' Thick- 
et. Most of them lived in that section 
and they had to stay in the brush, go to 
Mexico, or .submit to conscription. They 
preferred the brush, as is was a long 
road to Mexico, and powerful risky. 
And thus the doctor rattled away, con- 
veying the information I most desired, 
until our paths diverged. He kindly 
insisted that I accompany him to his 
home which was near at hand, but this 
generovis invitation I declined, and an 
hour later I was at Mr. McDonald's 
gate. As I approached, although it 
was growing dark, I noticed that Mr. 
McDonald 's farm was in the midst of a 
heavy forest of postoak timber and the 
house and lots were near a small creek. 
When I hailed at the front gate an old 
man advanced and when I asked if Mr. 
McDonald lived there he said: "Yes sir, 
this is whar he stays when he is around. 
'Light an come in. Here Jess, take tliis 
feller's cayuse to the lot aj^' feed 'im. 
Come right in. Mister. Leave yer mor- 
ral and quirt on yer saddle; the boy '11 
take care of yer stuif. " But I framed an 
excuse and held on to my quirt 

And this was my introduction to Vet- 
eran A. B. M'Donakl and the beginning 
of a friendship that grew with the lapse 
of time and strengthened with the accu- 
mulation of years. From his own lips 
I subsequently learned that he was an 
old pioneer, having come to Texas with 
Dewitt's Colony, and for many years had 
lived on the border and had participat- 



ed in many battles with Indians and 
outlaw Mexicans along the frontier. He 
owned a nice home on Clark's Creek, 
and all Texans of those days remember- 
ed his broad hospitality which was ex- 
tended to all who chanced to pass that 
way. At the time of mj' first visit he 
had a son in Joe Johnston's army. He 
had another son, lleniy McDonald, a boy 
of about 17, who was a member of the 
Lavaca Home Guards; also a boy, Jesse, 
a bright lad of about 14 years. Pour 
beautiful girls added a charm to this 
South Texas home, the two eldest, Lu- 
cretia and Lizzie, being about groAvn. I 
mention these members of the family on 
account of the part they played later 
in the serio-comic drama that followed 
my arrival in Lavaca. 

It was about dark when I reached Mr. 
McDonald's and before entering the 
house I took him aside and told him my 
story. I concealed nothing from him. 
I told him of my mission, my arrest, my 
escape, and the cause of my coming to 
him. He seemed to hesitate, but after 
a pause he assured me that he would do 
anything honorable to assist his fi-iends, 
Mr. and Mrs.- Cox, and that I was wel- 
come to stay at his home as long as I 
wished. "But," said he, "times are 
mighty squally jut now; the woods are 
full of soldiers and heel-flies, but I guess 
j'ou'U be safe here tonight if you don't 
talk too much. We'll talk that over 
before bedtime; come in, supper is wait- 
ing." With this he led the way into 
the house and presented me as Mr. Gar- 
cia, the name I had given him. The son, 
Henry, was in the family group, as was 
also a man who, by his gray jacket and 
pants, I recognized as a Confederate sol- 
-dier. This man was introduced as Mr. 
Harper. 

The family retired early and being 
crowded for bed-room I had to occupy 
a bed with the elder son, Henry, while 
Mr. Harper and Jesse slept in another 
bed in the same room. After retiring, 
my bed-fellow became quite communica- 
tive and his revelations were not con- 
ducive to that refreshing sleep that my 
weariness and fatigue demanded. He 
belonged to the Lavaca Home Guards 
and had been on duty night and day for 
a week. His company, 25 or 30 strong, 
was camped at the Harless school house, 
five or six miles distant, and being in 
nieed of a fresh horse he was permitted 
to come home to get a new mount and 
would rejoin his company the next day. 



24 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



The Victoria Home Guards and other 
troo])s were daily expected and when 
they all arrived the united forces were 
going; to round \ip the Somers' Thickets 
anil kill or capture the den of despera- 
does tliat vscre there in hiding. When 
I ask»;l about Mr. Harper he said he was 
a member of a regiment stationed nt 
V.elaseo on the Brazos and M'ith others 
had been detailed to run -down and cap- 
ture Joe Tate, who had been court-mar- 
tialed and sentenced to be shot, but had 
escaped, and that his home, a half mile 
distant, was being gufu-dcd by these sol- 
diers with the expectation that he would 
try to steal in under cover of darkness, 
and that Mr. Harper, being oif duty, 
had come over lo spend the night with 
the family. And along these lines the 
j-oung man talked and expatiated until 
overcome with weariness he finally fell 
aslecj), but the night was far spent be- 
fore 1 could follow suit. My reflections 
were anything but comforting. What on 
earth would come next! Like a block- 
head I had deliberately walked into an- 
other deadfall. A whole company of 
heel flies, well mounted and encamped 
within four miles of me ! Another com- 
pany expected hourly from Victoria ; 
and yet another company of regulars on 
the watch within a mile, and one of 
M'hom was then snoring not teli feet 
from where I lay But that wasn't all, 
I was in bed — actually in bed — with a 
heel fly, a young lad who had just re- 
lated his hard services for his country 
trying to catch "deserters." He would 
return to his company the next day and 
as a matter of fact report my presence. 
What must I do? Some plan of action 
must be matured before morning. My 
first impulse was to quietly and softly 
steal out of the house, get my horse and 
go to the Somers' League and fall in 
with those "desperadoes" who M'ere 
collected there. But of the refugees 
gathered there, I knew not one, and 
should I succeed in findig them possibly 
I might be looked upon as a spy and 
fare worse than if in the hands of the 
heel-flies. Finally I decided "to face 
the situation bold3% trust my good for- 
tune and take chances. The morrow 
would decide. The next morning my 
bed fellow became quite congenial and 
Mr. Harper was all smiles and good hu- 
mor. He had belonged to Captain Lid- 
dell's company, Gould's regiment. His 
company was organized in Hopkins 
county, had become tired of the war, 



nearly all had dieserted and were then 
leading the heel-flies a merry chase in 
the Sulphur Bottoms. Although tired 
of the soldiers life, he was too proud to 
doMcrt and would stay in the army as 
long as his command stayed where there 
w;is no fighting to do, but if ordered 
east for desperate service he would hit 
till? breeze for Mexico. Others had gone 
over there and were making five dollars 
a day, he had been told, and he could go 
wlM?.re any other men could go. The Con- 
federacy was busted anyway, and it was 
only a matter of time ^hen evey man 
could go home. T noted down in mem- 
ory ever.y word Mr. Harper said and 
canpfull.y sizing him up, I decided that 
he was a man I could trust and at the 
proper time I would applj^ the test. 
After breakfast Mr. McDonald called 
me away under the pretext of showing "* 
me a horse which he proposed to trade 
for mine. This gave him opportunity to 
talk to me privately amd he again as- 
surred me of my welcomje to his home 
and his protection so far as it extended, 
adding that even if I was found under 
his shelter, the heel flies dare not mo- 
lest him, he knew too much and they 
knew that he knew. He had opposed 
the war and if Texas had listened to Sam 
Houston, or if the people had obtained 
an honest count of the vote against se- 
. cession she would have no part nor lot 
in this unnatural war, but like all the 
rest he was in for it, and had to make 
the best of it. He had advi.sed his son 
to stay out of the army, but like other 
young men, he was driven by an insane 
impulse to be a soldier, and to go out 
and fight for his country, when he hadn't 
lost any country, and now he had a sur- 
feit of military glory. His next son, 
like all boj^s of his age, was forced to 
enlist in the Home Guards or else go to » 
Mexico. Being only a boy he could 
not consent to his going across the Rio 
Grande so long as he was allowed to re- 
main with the Home Guards on duty 
near home. He despised the name 
"Hom'e Guard;" they were a shame and 
a crjdng disgrace to the state and were 
dreaded by the people they were sup- 
posed to protect ten times more than 
the Yankees. Held back by parental 
admonitions and a natural disposition to 
deal honorably his son had never engag- 
ed in any of the excessies that had made 
the heel-flies a stench in the nostrils of 
all decent men, he, too abhorred them, 
and only the force of circumstanceB 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



85 



held him to the service. I could rely 
upon his son, since not one of the Mc- 
Donalds had ever been known to betray 
anyone who had broken bread at their 
table. He further stated that a number 
of his neighbors, men who had been in 
the army and had come home on. fur- 
lough and had refused to return to their 
commands on account. of the hardships 
of army life and the hopelessness of the 
Southern cause, had been lis'ted as de- 
serters and had been chased by the 
Home Guards into the Somers thickets 
on the Lavaca ; that they were deter- 
mined men, well armed,and would never 
surrender to any force sent against 
them. He seemed to be in touch with 
those men when he said they would try 
to make their waj' into Mexico at the 
the proper time. He advised me to 
stay close about the place, that he would 
instruct Henrj as ro what to s;-y jn the 
event he was questioned by any of his 
company, but for me to keep my cj'e on 
that fellow Harper. He was a regular 
and was not to be trusted too far. "Get 
all you can and keep all you get in the 
way of information and give as little as 
you can in return," was his closing aid- 
monition. The daj' seemed long, thoxigh 
in some respects pleasantly spent in the 
society of those worthy young ladies 
whom I learned to know as Lucretia 
and Lizzie. Mr. Harper left early and 
came back that evening with a comrade. 
It was plain that they came to see the 
girls and cared nothing for my presence. 
Henry McDonald went to his company 
in the afternoon. That night after 
supper and while the two Confederates 
were being entertained by the girls, Mr. 
McDonald related to me the troubles of 
Joe Tate and others in the settlement. 
Tate had enlisted in the Confederate 
army and while his regiment was sta- 
tioned on the Brazos he was tried by 
court-martial and sentenced to be shot 
The night preceding the day set for the 
execution of the sentence, Joe was being 
guarded on the east bank of the river. 
The guards had fish for supper and 
shortlj' after having finished the meal 
it was discovered that there was no 
water -in camp and all were thirsty after 
having eaten heartily of the fish Not 
being fitted with manacles, Joe volun- 
teered to bring the water, which was 
but a few steps down the bank. No one 
objected and when he reached the mar- 
gin of the river he plunged in and by 
diving and swimming he reached the 



opposite shore and escaped into the 
brush. Several volleys were fired to- 
ward him by his guards and a grealt out- 
cry was raised, but Joe did not believe 
the shots were fired with any evil in- 
tent. He traveled several miles that 
night and concealed himself during the 
day. When' he reached the Colorado 
several miles below Columbus he secur- 
ed a mount from friends and, traveling 
at night, made his way into the settle- 
ment on Clark's Creek near his home, 
where he learned that the heel-flies had 
preceded him and were guarding the 
premises, expecting Joe to be so fool- 
hardy as to walk into their trap. He 
was heavily armed by this time, and 
sent word by one of the Hogan boys 
notifying the officer in command of the 
company on duty that he was in the 
country and would remain, as he would 
never be taken alive. Grit GoUihar, 
Mr. McDonald said, was another "bad 
man" in the brush. He, too, had served 
in the army, and had been wounded at 
Shiloh and honorably discharged on 
account of disability. He had subse- 
quently served in the Home Guagjis un- 
til ordered east and on his refusal to 
obey this order he was arrested and 
placed in the guard house at Halletts- 
ville. "With the aid of friends he escap- 
ed and was now with others in the 
Somers' Thicket. He mentioned others 
of his neighbors who had passed through 

similar experiences, most of whom were 
in the brush on the Somers League. He 
thought there were at least 20 or 30 men 
in that wilderness. They were well 
arme^l and mounted, thoroughly organ- 
ized, and had a code of signals that were 
so well understood that the enemy could 
never surprise them. There were plenty 
of cattle in those extensive glades and 
thickets and there was no dearth of 
salt and bread as the latter was carried 
to them by friends. He repeated his 
regrets that his son belonged to such a 
disreputable body as the heel-flies, but 
the boy would never harm anyone, as 
he had often heard him say he would 
not shoot to hit a man who was trying 
to keep out of tlie Confederate army. 
He further stated that were he risks 
not so great he jvould be glad if Henry 
could go with me to Mexico and he be- 
lieved a little persuasion on my part 
would induce the young man to go. I 
told him I could not think of such a pro- 
ceedure ; that I would not attempt to 
persuade anyone away unless it be 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



those who, like myself, were being hunt- 
ed and chased from pillow to post. 
While thus talking — it must have been 
nine o'clock or later — six men rode up 
to the gate and hallooed. It was very 
dark and I moved to the rear in the di- 
rection of the horse lot, while Mr. Mc- 
Donald went to the gate. He was ask- 
ed if Mr. Harper was there and when 
told that he was, he was called out and 
two of the men took him aside and en- 
gaged for a few minutes in low conver- 
sation, after which the six men rode 
away and Mr. Harper came back and 
told Mr. McDonald that these men were 
a i)art of his command and were looking 
for Tate; that they had asked him if he 
had been there that evening. Shortly 
after this Mr. Harper and his comrade 
took their leave and when well away 
Lizzie said to me: "Those men were 
here for no good. They were on the 
lookout for Joe Tate <and they had too 
many questions to ask about you. They 
were spies, and I would advise you to 
hit the Somers' Thicket before day- 
light." "Yes," .said I, "but I know no 
one iJiere and I might be taken for a 
heel-fly and shot." "I hear someone 
coming now; step out in the darkness," 
said the girl. 

A horseman approached and it prov- 
ed to be Henry McDonald. They had 
orders to leave at once and go to Colum- 
bus to take the place of the company 
which had been stationed there, but was 
now enroute to Hallettsville. A por- 
tion of that company had beeu cleaning 
up the Navidad country as far doM'n as 
General Whitfield's place and had 
reached the Lavaca that evening with 
Uvo prisoners and were camped at Zum- 
walt's. The Victoria Home Guards 
and a squad from Clinton would arrive 
tomorrow or the day following and 
when all these got together they were 
going to clean out the Somers Thickets 
and kill or capture every man found in 
that wilderness. He was glad his com- 
pany was ordered away. lie did not 
want to disobey orders, but he'd be the 
last man to fire on those men who were 
being liounded off the earth. 

All this conversation took place while 
sitting on the front gallery and I paid 
closest attention to every word that was 
said. The old folks 'retired, Henry 
went in to the supper the girls spread 
for him and when seated at the table 
the j'oung ladies both came out to where 
I was and Lucretia, the eldest said:" We 



have a plan for you. If you stay here 
the heel-flies Avill get you sure. You 
are as welcome as a brother, but we'd 
hate to see you caught by the heel-flies. 
The country is full of them, but with all 
their brag and bluster, they are not 
going verj' far into the Somers Leagxie 
thicket. You must get with those men 
in the thicket. Don't know any of 
them? We'll arrange that. We'll 
have you out of here by the time it is 
light. Jesse knows the paths; he's been 
there before. You go right by Doc 
Bellan's and m'c'II send Jesse along to 
get medicine of the doctor. When you 
get that far and find the way cleaj he 
can go with you down on the League. 
He'll find the boys and then you are 
safe." 

"What of my Mexican and the mules 
in case they should come?" 

"I've no faith in a Mexican; I hate 
the whole generation, and I don't think 
you'll ever see your Mexican or those 
mules. But if the.y come we will send 
you word as soon as possible." 

"What will Henry say?" 

"Don't worry about Henry. You 
can rest assured that he will not betray 
you under any circiimstances. I had 
ten times rather see him' go to that 
thicket than go away from home with 
that gang of heel-fles he is now mixed up 
with. They are a .set of thieves and 
have been a curse here at home, and 
when taken to Columbus there's no tell- 
ing what devilment they will do where 
they are not acquainted." 

When I retired for the night my mind 
was ill at ease. Dangers were thicken- 
ing around me and my reflections were 
such as would not induce sleep. The 
Columbus heel-flics — my old friends, 
the enemj' — had rounded up the Navi- 
dad, caught two men, and were camped 
at Zumwalt's, only three miles distant. 
Could it be that those men were Gollihar 
and Clampit? The Victoria gang were 
coming up from the south and the Clin- 
ton contingent were approaching from 
the west, while the coinpany from the 
Brazos, which had come for Joe Tate, 
was camped on the creek near by. The 
prospect was indeed gloomy, but where 
there is a will there is a way; I had the 
will and I believed the young lady had 
pointed out the way. 

Before dawn Jesse McDonald and I 
were on the road leading to Dr. Bellah's 
which was about three milees distant. 
The boy was a bright lad and told me he 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



87 



knew the Somers League quite well 
and that during the past few months he 
had carried messages, and even provis- 
irons, to those thickets. As we rode on 
I discovered that he carried a cow bell 
in his morral, which was suspended to 
his saddle horn, and when asked what 
he was going to do with that bell he 
merely remarked, "Wait and see." We 
halted at Dr. Bellah's and the boy went 
in to get the medicine. When he came 
out the doctor accompanied him to the 
gate, and whle we were talking with 
him, four mounted men came riding out 
of a copse of timber near by. They 
were within pistol shot when discover- 
ed and advanced at a goUop. I knew I 
could outrun them, but decided to stay 
and take chances. When they drew- up 
at the gate they began questioning the 
doctor in a way that showed at once 
that they were strangers and not ac- 
quainted wilh the. lay of the country. 
To make bold, I asked: "To what com- 
pany do you belong, gentlemen? ""Com- 
pany K, Gould's regiment. Where do 
j'ou belong?" came the quick response. 
"I belong to Richardson's company. We 
have been on duty at Corpus Christi 
and King's ranch, but we were ordered 
here to clean out the Somers Thicket, 
and as soon as the Victoria and Colum 
bus boj's arrive, we are going to have a 
general round-up." 

"Wlicre is your company?" 

"My company has not yet ari*ived 
but will be here this evening. Having 
been raised near here and knowing the 
country quite well, the captain gave me 
and one of the boys in the company per- 
mission to come on ahead, and liaving 
nothing else to do, I thought I would 
do a little scouting on my own hook be- 
fore the boys got in. Have you gentle- 
men scouted over near the League?" 

"No,'" said the man who seemed to 
be the spoliesman, "we haven't scouted 
very much. We guarded the crossing 
at Mayo's Mill last night expeeting to 
capture Tate, whom we are anxious to 
catch. We suppose, however, he is with 
a lot of others in the Somers Thickets, 
and I guess we will all be with you boys 
in the big round-up." After some fur- 
ther conversation, from which I learn- 
ed they were on their return to camp 
on Clark 's creek, -they rode away, great- 
ly to my relief. They were not ignor- 
rant of the approach of the men from 
Concrete, Clinton and Victoria-, and my 
story sounded plausible enough. Mr. 



McDonald had told me that Dr. Bellah 
was all right and I did not hesitate to 
lie to those fellows in his presence. 
When this quartette of Company K dis- 
appeared, the boy and I headed for 
Somers Thickets. 

It must be remembered that a league 
of land coyers a considerable extent of 
territory, and this Somers League ex- 
tended quite a distance along the La- 
vaca river. The densest thickets — more 
properly forests — were in the river bot- 
tom and consisted of various groAvths, 
the live oak predominating. From the 
trees the long moss hung in great fes- 
toons and in places the vegetation over- 
head was so dense that the sun scarcely 
penetrated to the earth. 

When we entered the thickets proper, 
the boy halted, dismounted, and attach- 
ed the bell he had brought along to his 
horse's neck, remounted, and we rode 
forward. In reply to my inquiry he 
said, "This is my signal." After wind- 
ing around through glade and jungle 
for probably three-fourths of a mile, 
and while in the act of emerging from 
a thicket into an open space, a man on 
foot confronted us and sang out:" Hello, 
Jess, whar ye going? Who's this feller 
you've got with ye?" With this the lad 
introduced me to Mr. Colbath, who was 
soon informed that I was all right and 
mighty anxious to keep out of reach of 
the heel-flies. Mr. Colbath led the way 
to the lair, where we found ten or 
twelve men, and a harder looking set I 
never beheld. 1 had heard of Italia>n 
brigands,^ English highwaymen, robbers, 
pirates, and Mexican bandits, but never 
in fancy had I depicted such a ferocious 
loolcing group as that which gathered 
around me. They were in a rude camp 
and "shooting irons" were visible all 
around. They plied me with many 
questions and when I told them from 
whence I came and of my stampede from 
Columbus, one of their number broke in 
with: "Look here, ain't you the chap 
that stayed all night at Mrs. Davis' a 
few nights ago when you was a-running 
from the heel-flies to beat h— 1?" 

"1 guess I'm the man." 

','And didn't some fellers comin' 
'cross the prairie on bosses in a run 
scare you out o' the house an' make 
you jump in the river?" 

"Guess I'm the man." 
"The fellow then proceeded with ex- 
treme merriment to relate the circum- 
stances, adding to and enlarging upon 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



every ludicrous feature of the event, 
which caused rounds of laughter. Then 
turning to me he said: "The lady you 
stayed with is my sister. I am Wiley 
Clampit, and I am one of the fellers 
that scared you so bad that you had to 
jump in the Navidad and sit out thar in 
the bottom with the owls until nearly 
day." To the crowd he said: "Boys, 
this fellow is all right. My sister told 
me all about him and if it hadn't been 
for him I would not be here. " 

Shortly after reaching my new 
friends, Jesse McDonald started on his 
return homeward, well posted as to how 
to proceed in case my Mexican and the 
mules showed up. 

I soon found those men were contin- 
ually on the alert. Their ears were op- 
en to hear every signal and their scouts 
and watchmen were on duty at all 
hours. Several came in during the 
forenoon and others went out to "look 
around." All had many questions to 
ask about Mexico and a majority ex- 
pressed their determination to go across 
the Rio Grande if they could once get 
headed that way. 

In the afternoon Crit and Charley 
Gollihar and several others came in. 
Charley Gollihar v.as one of those who 
had escaped from the guard house at 
Columbus and seemed very much pleas- 
ed to see me. Crit Gollihar was a giant 
in .size and evidently a man of great 
courage. Pie said to us as we gathered 
around to learn the news: "Weil, boys, 
thunder's to pay. Oma (his wiie) was 
up at old man Heath's this morning and 
Dick told her that the Victoria company 
and a company from over about Clinton 
was to be here today. The company 
from Columbus was at Dr. Ponton's this 
morning; they camped at Zumwalt's 
last night. Those fellows who came 
here after Joe Tate are going to stay 
luitil all these other companies come wp, 
then they are going to come in here and 
clean out everything from a, bat to a 
steer. That's what they say they are 
going to do; but <loin' it! You fellers 
want to keep awake; there's no tellin' 
what's going to happen; we may have 
to fight like blazes, but they'll have to 
fetch along something better than; heel- 
flies if they ever clean up this crowd." 

I M'as anxious to meet Joe Tate, and 
was told that he was on the lookout, but 
would probably show up that evening. 

At nightfall the oompany dispersed in 
squads of six to ten. During the evening 



the place of bivouac had been selected 
for each group or squad. These bivouacs 
were on the outer edge of an area in cir- 
cular form, and it was understood that 
in case of attack during the night all 
should rally to a common center. The 
distance between each of the bivouacs 
was not over 100 yards. Those who had 
been scouting during the day were al- 
lowed to rest and give their horses a 
chance to graze in one of the nearby open 
spaces. Besides two or three who were 
on picket duty quite a distance from 
"headquarters," each squad kept a man 
posted to watch over camp and a^^ouse 
the sleepers in case he heard a signal of 
dianger. Horses that had grazed during 
the day were brought up, saddled and 
secured. No fire was allowed, and in 
order to light his pipe the smoker had 
to use the flint and steel which every 
man carried in those days, as matches 
could not be procured. 

The night passed without incident, 
and at an early hour the next morning 
one of the outer pickets reported that 
the Columbus company had encamped 
that night at the Mayo's Mill crossing, 
which was not over a mile and a half 
above us on the river. This news made 
me doubly uneasy. I was expecting 
Ciriaco and the Cox boy hourly. They 
had been directed to cross the Lavaca at 
Mayo's, and now in all likelihood they 
would fall into the hands of the enemy. 
To warn them of their danger was out 
of the question, and all I could do was 
to hope for the best. 

After having breakfasted, Crit Golli- 
har called the men together and explain- 
ed that scouting parties would likely 
scour the country adjacent during the 
day and he declared that he was going 
to do some scouting himself. He wanted 
five men, well mounted and well armed, 
to go with him. He chose his brother, 
Charlie, Mr. Hill, Mr. Clampit, Mr. Col- 
bath, and another whose name I have > 
forgotten. When these had been gone 
three or four hours, one of the outer 
pickets came rushing in with a boy by 
the name of Stamps, who had been sent 
]iost haste to notify Mr. Gollihar that a 
captain and three of his men had been at 
his house that morning, and after mak- 
ing a search of the premises and offering 
many indignities, had forced Mrs. Golli- 
har and her children to prepare break- 
fast for them. They had demanded 
fried chicken, and Avhen she refused to 
kill her fowls for the hungry thieves, 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



29 



they killed them, dressed them, and s\.-ore 
if she did not cook them as directed they 
would burn the house. Mrs. Gollihar 
had sent the boy, thinking he would find 
her husband m camp. The boy said the 
men h'ld left but they would be back for 
dinner and she wanted protection. When 
we heiard this every man made tracks for 
his horse and in an incredibly short time 
all were mounted and ready to respond 
to the lady's call for help. Every man 
present wanted to go, but it was decided 
best for some to remain and allow only 
five to go, as they would be more than a 
match for four cowardly heel-flies who 
M-ould insult and rob a helpless woman 
and her little children. 

"We had not gone more than half a 
mile when we heard signal guns off to 
our right, and these were offered by the 
boys we had left behind. Thinking that 
these signals boded danger, and not 
knowing their full import, we retraced 
our steps as fast as the jungle would per- 
mit. When we reached camp the men 
were mounted and ready for any 
emergency. They, like the rest of us, 
didn't exactly understand the signal; it 
was not one of alarm, nor was it a signal 
for help. While discussing the matter 
we heard a whoop nearby, and Henry 
Dunn said: "I know that yell it's Crit 
Gollihar, and he's got go.od news of some 
sort. I know him too well." A minute 
later the cavalcade entered the small 
glade M'here we were assembled, and in- 
stead of six men there were ten, and four 
of these wore handcuffs and were se- 
curely tied to their saddles. Gollihar 
and his five men had ambushed them, got- 
ten the drop on them and captured the 
scoundrels who hod forced Mrs. Gollihar 
thait morning to prepare their breakfast. 
Loud jeers and merriment foUoweid tihei I 
arrival for a few minutes, and none join- 
ed more heartily than I when I saw that 
one of the captives was one of my for- 
mer captors at Columbus, and another 
was no less a person; than my friend, 
Captain Baker of the Columbus Home 
Guards ! 

The captured heel-flies were dismount- 
ed and placed under a strong guard 
After leaving camp that morning, Mr. 
Gollihar and his squad had gone out on 
the uplands west of us where the coun- 
try was more open and where here and 
there was found a small prairie. While 
passing through a thicket aud just be- 
fore coming out in the open, they saw 
four hursenii3u approaching at a quick 



gait. They at once spotted them as heel 
flies, but thought at first they were of 
the Halletsville crowd. They quickly 
dismounted and secured their horses 
Tinder concealment and ^yhen the four 
heel flies reached the edge of the thicket 
they suddenly found themselves covered 
with over half a doezn revolvers — some 
of the men carried two sixshooters — and 
a sharp order, "hands \ip!" And thus, 
the capture of the captian and his squad 
was effected. 

When Gollihar was told of our start 
to his home and the causes leading there- 
to, he gave waj^ to a paroxysm of uncon- 
trollable rage. The Stamp boy had re- 
turned with us and having seen the free- 
booters at Mrs. Gollihar 's that morning, 
readily identified these captives as be- 
ing the culprits. 

Gollihar was prevented from inflict- 
ing ainj' personal injury on these un- 
fortunate men. but soon mounted and 
rode away in the direction of his home, 
swearing that he was going to investi- 
gate and if they had harmed his family 
or had committed any sei'ious outrage 
all h — 1 couldn't bar his vengeance. 

When Mr. Gollihar had gone and the 
excitement had somewhat subsided our 
prisoners became more communicative. 
The captain, however, was neverous and 
when he asked what we were going to 
do with him and his three men, he was 
told to wait until Gollihar 's return and 
then in all likelihood they would be 
hung to a live oak limb. After this he 
became sullen and had little to say, but 
one of his men — a red-faced young fel- 
low — who had assisted in my capture at 
the mule train, seemed to take a phil- 
osophic view of matters and his remarks 
noAv and then created con.siderable mer- 
riment. He said to me: "Well, young 
feller, I had you and now you've got me. 
But I must say, you are the smartest 
scholar I ever saw. A week ago you 
couldn't speak a word of English; now 
.you can talk it like a school marm." 

The only attempt at levitj^ the captain 
was known to make during the evening 
was while I was momentarily absent, 
someone asked as to mj whereabouts, to 
which the captain dryly i-eplied : "Gone 
to get his witnesses, I guess." Clampit 
overhearing the remark responded by 
.saying; "Perhaps so, but he maj- be 
leading some more of your men into a 
bog." 

The little captain begged that his 
iiandcuft's be ruiuovud. Hu pleaded tkat 



30 



SEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



he was au officer in the Confederate ser- 
vice, faithfully performing the duties 
assigned him, that he was in the dis- 
charge of duty when unlawfully arrest- 
ed, that his captors were an unorganized 
bod}' of men, whom the authorities 
could not regard in any other light than 
citizens in open rebellion against the 
government and that if those irons were 
not removed and he and his three men 
set at liberty, his captors and all con- 
cerned in his capture and retention 
would be treated as pirates when cap- 
tured and that their escape was an xitter 
impossibility. 

It is well to state herte that Avhen tak- 
en, these four men carried six pairs of 
hand cuffs — manacles, made of old horse 
shoes as the nail imprints could be plain- 
ly seen in the wristlets. These, cuffs 
were connected by sections of old trace 
chains, and were home-made, and evi- 
dently the product of a very inferior 
blacksmith. Later we found that every 
man in that Columbus gang was suppli- 
ed with a pair of these implements of 
torture. In reply to the captain's ap- 
peal for clemency, he was asked if he 
was in the discharge of his duty when 
he and his men were destroying the pri- 
vate property of helpless citizens, killing 
a poor woman's chickens and forcing 
her to cook and serve them up for him 
and those under his command. He was 
asked if he thought he was discharging 
the duty of a brave, humane officer by 
carrj'ing a supply of handcuffs along 
with which to iron those unfortunates 
who chanced to fall into his hajids. He 
replied to this latter question by 
saying -that he was only obej-ing orders 
when he brought those handcuffs along 
and that he had never yet jilaeed a man 
in irons by order or otherwise. When 
he said this, I and Mr. Clampit were 
each ready with a reply, I said, "Cap- 
tain, I saw a man wearing a ball and 
chain in your office at Columbus. Did 
you not order that man shackled?" He 
shook his head, but before he could 
speak, Mr. Clampit said: "Don't deny 
it captain; I was there and know what 
I am talking about; you won't tell me 
you did not order that man ironed and 
more than that; it was you or the men 
under you, who arrested Aaron Shields, 
a disabled discharged Confederate sol- 
dier who had gone to town for the doc- 
tor to attend his sick child, and while 
there you arrested and hurried him off to 
Houston. His ehild died while he was 



still wearing the irons you had fastened 
on his wrists, and he may be wearing 
them yet, if living. No, no, Captain ! 
Those jewels fit you; you've made other 
ra n, either of whom were a thousand 
times a better, a braver man than you 
ever was, to wear irons by your order, 
and now you shall wear them foi 
awhile at any rate. You are not alto- 
gether a stranger in these parts; several 
of us know of your cruelty and devil- 
mient and there may yet be a gander- 
pulling before this thing is settld. " 

A little later in the evening toward 
the close of the day, a signal was heard 
by those in camp and was answered by 
one of the outer guards. Shortly after 
Mr. Gollihar and others, accompanied by 
Joe Tate and younger brother, Bob Tate, 
came into camp. Mr. Gollihar 's rage 
seemed to have subsided .since he learned 
that the worst damage the prisoners had 
wrought was the killing of his wife's 
chickens. I took him asidie and asked 
him what he was going to do with those 
men. He informed me that on Joe Tate's 
account they were going to hold them, 
to use his ^expression, "till h — 1 freezes 
over," and if the authorities captured 
Joe, he would propose an exchange of 
prisoners and if Ihey refused and «ver 
fired on or hurt any of us, then he would 
hang a prisoner for every one of our men 
hurt or killed. 

I saw the desperate straits to which 
these men were reduced, and under the 
leadership of Crit Gollihar I could only 
see disaster. The odds against us were 
too great. A number, some eight or ten 
of these men had expressed a willingness 
to go with me into Mexico, where I had 
once gone to avoid the raising of my 
hand against my countrymen. I regard- 
ed blood shed in and around that Somers 
Thicket as being a foregone conclusion, 
ily mission to the Colorado was peaoe^ 
able. I was violating no statutory law, 
and I could not — would not — consent to 
be led into a battle with those men Avho, 
while bent on my capture or destruction, 
yet they, too, were my countrjTiien. 
These were my reflections and I quickly 
decided that m.y own personal safety 
was worth nioi-c to me ju.st then than a 
whole caballaJa of big American mules. 
I would await the coming of Ciriaco and 
that span of mules two days longer; by 
that time there would be developments, 
and if matters grew worse and my Mex- 
can still refused to sKow up, the mules 
could go to the devil anid I'd go tg Mex- 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



31 



ico. I had asked one of the men — the 
red-faced fellow — about Lieutenant Cox 
and was informed that he was sent home 
from the Navidad with an attack of ill- 
ness which threatened to develop into 
pneumonia. This affliction might cause 
the lady to delay the sending -of those 
mules and Ciriaco, after all, may have 
decided that there were other routes 
leading to the Rio Grande. 

After supper Joe and Bob Tate and 
Henry Dunn went off in the direction of 
Zumwal't's up the riX'er, saying they 
would be back next day. Crit GoUihar, 
his brother, Charlie, and two others went 
to Gollihar's place to keep watch, as thej' 
expected the heel flies who, finding their 
captain and his three men had failed to 
show up, might make an attack on the 
house during the night. When the guards 
were set and horses secured, those left 
in camp gathered around and we dis- 
cussed the situation. Everyone present 
wanted to get out of the scrape without 
having to fight their way out. They 
said Gollihar, Joe Tate and Colbath 
would never leave ; that they were de- 
termined to stay and bushwhack the 
heel flies to the bitter end. But while 
those present were anxious to go with 
me, yet a sen.se of dread, really a want 
of confidence in themselves, was evident. 
How could we avoid the heel flies at 
Clinton, Goliad, Beeville, San Patricio, 
and King's Ranch? All these places lay 
on our route. And above all, how would 
we escape capture bj-^ the numerous river 
guards which were at every crossing be- 
tween Eagle Pass and the mouth of the 
Rio Grande? I explained that with fif- 
teen or twenty determined men, well 
armed, and well mounted, I could stand 
off any body of heel flies we might 
chance to meet. I had heard a French 
officer in Monterey during a riot, say 
that "mobs won't fight, and neither will 
untrained, undisciplined boys fight." I 
pointed out that the Clinton company of 
heel flies were supposed to be in our vi- 
cinity, and that even if the town were 
strongly garrisoned, we could avoid its 
close proximity by crossing the Guada- 
lupe far below; that we could easily 
reach that river in less than one night's 
travel, remain in concealment during the 
day and the next night reach the San 
Antonio river beloW Goliad, which 
once passed, all danger would be over. 
As to crossing the Rio Grande into Mex- 
ico, I assured them that would be about 
the etisiout task eucountered during thu 



entire journey. Benivede's regiment 
was on duty, scattered all along the riv- 
er from Brownsville to Laredo. They 
were all Mexicans and were the most 
arrant knaves that ever disgraced a uni- 
form. They drew their pay $1G per 
month, in specie. For rations, they had 
flour, corn meal, fre.sh beef or mutton 
every day, besides sugar and coffee. 
They laid tribute on every bale of cotton 
that went across the river, and on every 
article of merchandise that crossed into 
Texas. Tliousands of cattle who^e own- 
ers were in the Confederate army, roam- 
ed t the plains from the Nueces to the 
Rio Grande and when' these soldier- 
pelados wanted to break a Camargo 
Monte bank, or their monthly stipend 
began to run short, they would round up 
a few thousand beeves, drive them to 
Monterey or Saltillo and sell them — all 
in the name and by the authority as 
they claimed, of the C. S. A. Govern- 
ment. The people of Mexico are as hon- 
orable and as patriotic as those of nv.y 
nation on the globe, but the frontier, 
the border line betweeni two nations is 
always the resort of the toughest ele^ 
ments of the two countries adjacents, 
and Benivedes regiment seemed to have 
become the dragnet that caught the 
\v;orst that Mexico ha-d to spare. 

"No boys," said I, "the clink of a dol- 
lar or two will remove all obstacles 
that may offer on the east bank of the 
Bravo." 

I further told these men my plans for 
leaving as soon as possible ; that I 
would persuade no man to go with me, 
but that all who intended going with me 
must be ready to start the next night or 
tlie night following. And furthermore 
tluit each must agree to act the man 
from start to finish. Supplies, we might 
require along the route, must be paid 
for, no one's rights violated or property 
molested. Cattle were plentiful and 
cheap in those days and it was custom- 
ary for travelers, stockmen, or others, 
when in need of food, to kill a maverick 
(an unbranded yearling), and appropri- 
ate its flesh. This I told the men we 
would do, as was the custom, but in all 
other matters involving the rights of 
propert}', the strictest decorum should 
be observed. To this proposition each 
man prsent expressed his heartiest en- 
dorsement and I began to realize from 
that moment that, however coarse the 
exterior of these rude, uncouth men, at 
Uuart they^ wure liuu^st, aud thiu good 



32 



HEEL PLY TI ME IN TEXAS 



opinion, then formative state, was fully 
confirmed by subsequent experience. 

It was late that night when I stretch- 
ed out on my blanket for a few hours 
sleep. My horse stood near, saddled 
and ready for service. I had determin- 
ed to brave -all lurking dangers and go 
over to Mr. McDonald's and, if possible 
learn something of Ciriaco and those 
mules. I instructed the guards to call 
me at 3 o'clock in the morning. The 
distanc to be traveled was not over six 
miles and my aim was to reach Mr. Mc- 
Donald's before daylight. After a re- 
freshing sleep I was awakened, mounted 
and set off. 

I reached Mr. McDonald's before day 
and rode to the back of his field north 
of the house and tied my horse in a 
thicket. It was yet dark, and on foot I 

• made my way through the field to the 
horse lot where I found several saddle 
horses. Wheni I discovered these I con- 
cluded that all was not well. In a lit- 
tle house used for storing corn and feed, 
I found three or four saddles and sad- 
dle blankets. These latter were still wet 
with the sweat of the previous day's 
hard riding. Had there been only two 
saddles I would liave formed the con- 
clusion that they were the saddles be- 
longing to Ciriaco and the Cox boy and 
would doubtless have been caught, but 
the number of saddles was clearly in- 
dicative of danger. Members of the 
household were astir and I withdrew. 

About 200 yards east of the McDonald 
residence was a cabin occupied by an old 
negro and family, who cultivated a por- 
tion of Mr. McDonald's land. While 
pondering as to what to do next, I notic- 
ed a light emanating fBoni this old ne- 
gro's cabin. I decided to trj* to learji 
sometliing from the old darky. As I 
stealthilj' approached the cabin I heard 
him at the lot in, the rear of his domicile 
feeding the horses. I got between him 
and his cabin and as he started back to 
the house after having fed his stock I 
came up close and in a low voice, I said : 
"Good morning. Uncle, have you seen 
an.y heel flies around here lately?" 
"Who is you, an' wha' you foolin' 
heah fo' dis time o' night?" "Don't 
you know me, Uncle? I am the man 
you saw at Mr. JIcDouald's the other 
day; the man who had j'our folks do 
some washing." 

"Shuah! Is dat you.' Well you's all 

. rite while it's dark, but ef you's trying 
to keep out'u de way, o' doui liuel flj^ses 



you'd bettah be makin' de sand fly. 
Dey's a big gang on 'em at Marse A. B's 
an' dey's sho' mad. Wha' fo' you come 
heah anyhow?" 

"All right. Uncle, you go right in the 
house, but say nothing to any of your 
folks; get a bucket as if going for water 
then go to the well (which was near the 
kitchen in Mr. Mc's yard) and loiter 
there until you can get a chance to 
speak privately to either one of the girls 
and then tell her that Mr. Garcia is at 
your gate and wants to see her. 

"Lawd, yas .sah, yas sah; I'll hab dat 
gal heah in two minits!" 

The first gray streaks of dawn b'Cgan 
to appear ajid minutes seemed hours, 
but presently I heard the trip of light 
footsteps and through the slowly van- 
ishing darkness I saw the figure of a 
woman approaching. It was Lizzie Mc- 
Donald, and she brought me the most 
startling news. On account of the grow- 
ing light she had to be brief; there was 
no time for an exchange of simple greet- 
ings. The men at the house were a part 
of the Clinton company, who had been 
scouting around in the direction of the 
Somers thicket the day before ; the men 
camped at Mayo's Mill captured a Mex- 
ican with two mules and a horse and 
sho just knew it was my Mexican and 
my mules. She did not know where 
the}- had taken him, but thought he 
was held at their camp. The Victoria 
company had camped the night before 
at Mr. ilayne's place, on Brushy, .lesse 
had gone during the night to warn me 
and tell me about the capture of the 
ilexican, and she- wondered why he 
had not found me. as he had ample time 
to reach our lair before midnight. "But 
it is getting light and they'll miss me 
at the house. Go quick; don't go 
through the field, thej' might see you. 
(io round the field and for Heaven's 
siiTce, don't let them arrest you." And 
with that she was gone and turning to 
the old negro who had returned short- 
ly after the young lady's ap]>earance, I 
handed him a dollar, and again admon- 
ished him to observe secrecy, I turned 
to leave when he said, "Wait MaJistali; 
de old 'Oman's eookin' brekfus, an' de 
braid is neahly done, an I'se gwiue guv 
yo' a big pone o' dat braid ef yo' can 
jis wait a miuit. It won't tuk j'o' long 
an, yo's gwine to git might}' hongry a 
runnin' fum dem heel flyses an' doin' 
widout yo' brekfus." 

(To be tioutiiiuud. 



HEEL FLY TI ME IN TEXAS 



33 



I had neither time nor appetite just 
then, and handing the generous hearted 
old negro another dollar, I hastened a- 
round the field through the brush, mount- 
ed and was away in the dirrection of the 
Somers League. I did not seek to avoid 
any one, as it was quite early and the heel 
flies were never known to be early risers, 
unless there was loot to be had without 
fighting- For the 'steenth time since 
leaving Matamoras, I was mad. Cir- 
iaco was a prisoner in the hands of those 
measley scape goats, and, besides, they 
had those mules. I would have those 
mules if it took all spring and summer 
too, and if they harmed poor Ciriaco I 
would stay with tho.se men in the thick- 
ets till the close of the war. 

The sun was up shining bright and 
clear, a typical South Texas spring morn- 
ing when I reached Dr. Bellah's, I made 
no halt and had gone a short distance 
when I saw a body of horsemen com- 
ing from the direction of Mayo's Mill. 
That part of the ccuntry was open post- 
oak woods and seeing me at about the 
same time I discovered them coming to- 
ward me, they raised a whoop and dash- 
ed forward at full speed. Veering to the 
rightjl "lit out" and the race began. 
They chased me more than a mile and at 
no time were they nearer than 300 yards, 
but from the start they kept up a running 
fire as if they expected to hit someone. 
I reached cover in the edge of the thicket 
a,nd they withdrew, fearing as the boys 
afterward said, an ambuscade. 

Signals had been sounded at different 
points along the thickets when this fir- 
ing was heard and I met a force hasten- 
ing to learn the cause. I told the boys 
that it was only a little race for morning 
exercise and that no heel fly could get 
near enough to shoot me so long as I was 
better mounted than they. "Fellers they 
'11 never catch 'im as long as they is deep 
water about. He was a headin' for the 
river an' the Lavaca's no bigger nor the 
Navidad." This speech came from big 
nose, gander-eyed Wylie Clampit, and 
there was a loud guffaw at my expense. 

When we reached camp I related to the 
boys all I had heard and told them of my 
determination to rescue my Mexican at 
all hazards and awked them if they would 
.stay by me in th« undertaking, ail 



agreed to go with me, if there were any 
fighting to do they would not desert me 
It was agreed however, to wait untill the 
Gollihar boys, the Tate' and Colbath 
came in and then our .attacking force 
would be larger. Five new men had come 
in the early morning but no one seemed 
to know much about them, more than they 
had been chased away from home by the 
heel flies and were considered reliable. 
The Colorado company that had captured 
my Mexican numbered only thirty men 
and boys, mostly the latter ; four of these 
were under guard in our camp, leaving 
the enemy only about 26 and it was con- 
ceded that a dozen determined men could 
capture the entire lay-out. 

Shortly after noon, the two Gollihar 
boys, the Tate boys, Henery Dunn and 
Mr. Colbath came in, bringing with them 
a man by the name of Jennings, who said 
that his father lived a few miles beloAv 
on the east .side of the Lavaca river. lie 
^vas well known to nearly all in camji 
and had been kept in the brush by the 
heel flies nearly all winter. 

I related my late experience to Mr. 
Gollihar and those who came in with him 
told them of the capture of the mules and 
Ciriaco by the heel flies, and of my deter 
raination to attack the camp of the enemy 
and that the boys had agreed to join m ■ 
in the undertaking. Gollihar was pleas- 
ed with the idea and announced his will- 
ingness to lead the expedition. He swore 
that he alone could whip half of that out- 
fit and that .since they had gone into 
the mule business he proposed to become 
a horse dealer and that some of those hee' 
flies had some mighty good horses which 
he stood greatly in need of just then. We 
would make the attack that eveninsr 
about four o'clock. 

This proposition was heartily approved 
by all except Joe Tate. He reasoned 
along different and more practical lines. 
He set forth that there were other means 
at hand by which to accomplish the ends 
in view ; that of rescuing the young Mex- 
ican, and the mules. He said to,openly or 
stealthilj- attack those men would involve 
us in greater embarrassments than tho-u' 
under which we now labored, that it 
would be making war on the Confederal.^ 
forces and that if captured at any sub 
sequent period, we would b« courtoar- 

•THIS STORY APPEARED IN FRONTIER TIMES, a monthly 
Magazine devoted to Frontier History, published at Bandera, Texas. 



.'I 



%r- 



84 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



tialed and hanj^ed. "My plan," continued 

Mr. Tate, is this:" We hold four of their 
men as prisoners-a captain and three 
privates. They are a biirden to us and we 
oucrht to get them off our hands. Release 
one of these privates ricrht away. and 
send him their camp with a proposal to 
exchansre the captain for this? young 
man's Mexican, and the two privates for 
the mules — miile for mule — they'll be 
glad to swap as doubtless, they know 
nothing as to what may have befallen 
these men." 

After some further discussion Mr. 
Tate's plan was agreed to. Of course 
these deliberations were held at some 
distance from and beyond the hearing of 
the prisoners. 

During this general discussion, Jen- 
nings heard me mention the Cox boy in 
connection with the capture of the Mex- 
ican and the mules and when an agree- 
ment was reached and our plans formiil- 
ated he told me he knew the Cox's and 
the two families were great friends and 
that the boy was safe. He said he had 
left his father's ranch only that morn- 
ing on his return to Columbus. He fur- 
ther stated that it was daylight when he 
and the Mexican neared the Lavaca 
river, and he begged the Mexican to run 
down the prairie and stop at Mr. Jen- 
nings until night, then make their way 
to Clarks Creek settlement. The Mex- 
ican assured him that he could not make 
it safely through and as they had ridden 
all night and he (a boy), being almost 
exhausted from fatigue, he could go to 
Mr. Jennings, rest up, and return home 
at his pleasure. The boy followed the 
suggestion and was there safe. While the 
Mexican went on and was captured. More 
on Mrs. Cox's account, than any other, 
I was greatly relieved on receipt of this 
intelligence. 

Our plan, as finally agreed upon for 
the evening, was this: Every man was to 
be in readiness to start at 3 p. m. By that 
time those on watch along the outer bor- 
ders of the thicket would be in for even- 
ing relief 

Th prisoners were to be blindfolded, 
mounted and their horses were to be led 
by men detailed for duty. We were to 
ride in silence to a point in the river bot- 
tom a quarter of a mile from camp at the 
Mayo Mill — -a point where we would be 
concealed from view by a dense thicket. 
From this thicket we were to send in to 
the enemy our demaad, and if this waa 



refused we would tie our prisoners to a 
tree and charge the camp. 

There was a bountiful supplj' of fresh 
beef in camp and the men during the 
forenoon had barbecued a quanity of the 
choicest pieces. After a hearty feasting 
on beef without bread, I called the boys 
together and told them that if our raid 
on the heel fly camp proved successful 
I was going to leave next night and all 
who Avished to go with me to Mexico 
must be ready. Nineteen declared their 
readiness to accompany me and to face 
any perils that might beset our way. 
The GoUihar boys, the Tate brothers, 
Dunn and Colbath said they had no de- 
sire to leave the country, and that they 
believed when the heel flies found out 
that so many had gone in a body they 
would abandon the chase, and this would 
give them more freedom to go where 
they pleased. 

Half an hour before we were ready to 
start Jesse McDonald came in bringing 
a sack of corn bread, some salt and the 
message the girls had intrusted him with 
the night before. During the night, he 
had met a. party of heel flies, turned and 
fled and they chased him to Brushy Creek 
ek below the Harless school house, where 
he gave them the dodge. He then follow- 
ed a circuitous route and got there with 
the bread, but it was reduced to the con- 
sistency of corn meal. 

The lad wanted to go with us against 
the heel flies, but I and others object- 
ed. I told him to get back home before 
night, if possible, and tell the girls if 
we were successful, and the way open. 
I would be at their house that night to 
tell them good- bye. 

At the appointed hour all were in read- 
iness. Four men were detailed to guard 
the four prisoners — Colbath andCharlie 
GoUihar being of the number — and each 
was well coached as to duty. Four strong 
rawhide ropes were conspicuously dis- 
played by these guards while making 
preparation to mount the captives. When 
they proceeded to blinidfold them, the 
captain exclaimed: "Men, in Heaven's 
name what does this mean?" Colbath 
replied in a serious and sympathetic 
tone by saying: "Well, Captain, we 
have to obey orders; if you have any 
preparations to make — but, I'm forbid- 
den to talk." It was plainly seen that the 
poor men were greatly alarmed and I 
would have gladly given then* assurance 
of their safety but could aot under the 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



35 



circumstances. When we mounted I coun- 
ted twenty-nine men, not including the 
prisoners, and two others came to us be- 
fore getting clear of the lower thickets. 
Thirty-one in all, and these by common 
consent were led by Joe Tate. Through 
the mazes of thoKc jungles we rode in 
single file and in silence. When out of 
the Somers thickets proper, we kept 
well under cover along the narrow riv- 
er bottom until we reached the point 
designated. Here we halted and dis- 
mounted. A man was directed to go on 
foot along the river to a small elevation 
where he could obtain a very fair view of 
the enemy's camp. He returned shortly 
and reported that there were quite a 
number of hor.ses in the camp, but he 
could discover only 20, perhaps 25 men, 
although there might be double that. 
This report served to change the plan 
originally agreed upon. Instead of send- 
ing one of the captives into camp , Mr. 
Tate decided upon a defiant, aggressive 
course. He approached the captain and 
asked him if he had any writing material. 
The captain replied that he had a piece 
of a pencil and a small note book, "Very 
well ; you shall do some writing and it 
may be your last. It all depends. Here 
boys some one of you take off the hand- 
cuffs, so that he can write." 

Mr. Tate beckoned me to draw near so 
that I might hear all that was dictated. 
The captain was very nervous but man- 
aged to scrawl an order to his men dir- 
ecting them to deliver at once one Cir- 
iaco, a Mexican, and two mules they 
had taken when the Mexican was captur- 
ed, that he, the captain, and his three 
men, ( giving their names ) were being 
held by a band of desperadoes, who were 
determined to hang them if the demands 
were not immediately complied with. 
I well remember tli-i closing sentence of 
that order. "Theref.u-e I command that 
the said Mexican and mules b'^ delivered 
at once, and it is stipulated that my re- 
lease and that of your captive comrades, 
will follow immediately upon the execu- 
tion of this order." A man by the name 
of Bast was selected to carry the mes- 
sage under flag of trmce. He was instruct- 
ed to approach the camp near enough to 
observe the strength of the enemy, and 
call for a parley. If he found that their 
force was about equal or inferior to ours, 
he was to wave his flag over his head 
twice. He was also instructed fully as to 
what to a&y to tli« eaem^- But there arobe 



another barrier. There was not a white 
handkerchief in the whole outfit. There 
were handkerchiefs, but they were of the 
bandana brand and color. Someone sug- 
gested a shirt, but investigation showed 
there was not a white shirt in the crowd. 
Some there were that had once been white 
but age and usage and lack of soap 
and water had changed their color. 
Finally a "poke" — a sort of bread sack 
that was made of home spun cloth and 
still retained a resemblance of its orig- 
inal whiteness, was pressed into service, 
torn open and the cleanest section cut out 
with a jack- knife and fixed to a long 
switch. This Mr. Bast took and with its 
tarni.shed folds dancing in the evening 
breeze, rode boldly to a point within 
close hailing distance of the heel fly 
camp. Some twenty minutes or more 
elap.sed, when our lookout motioned us to 
advance. He had seen Bast give the pre- 
concerted signal. 

Our party rode out from our place of 
concealment, leaving two men to guard 
the pri.soners, and when in the open we 
formed in a line and advanced abreast, 
allowing a space of about ten paces be- 
tween the horsemen in order to make our 
appearance seem as imposing as possible. 
When within one hundred yards of 
our truce bearer we halted and maintain- 
ed strict silence. A man had come out 
from the camp and was talking with 
Bast. When our column came in view 
we could not fail to note that there was 
excitement in the enemy's camp. This 
emboldened us and Joe Tate and I advan- 
ced and joined Mr . Bast. Seeing this 
movement, two of the heel flies came out 
and joined us. Mr. Bast remarked as we 
rode up: "These fellows say they have 
the Mexican,but won't give him up until 
their captain and comrades are produced. 
Mr. Tate said to the men: (the two extra 
men had rode up by this time.) "We 
haven't a minute to fool away with you 
fellows. Your captain and his three men 
are in that thicket over there, closely 
guarded by fifty determined men. We 
have come after that Mexican and we are 
going to have him and if thcr« is a shot 
fired at one of my men your captain and 
those with him won't last a minute. I've 
got enough men to bag your whole crowd, 
and it would do some of them good to 
quirt every scoundrel in your outfit. 
Hurry up now, we've no time for non- 
sense." By thJ3 *iJBW <t* *3BB(DBny in 
ttamp bad rallied and formed (on foot). 



■Il 



36 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



at the edge of the grove in which they 
were e-ncamped. Their paucity of num- 
ber was apparent, and we learned later 
that a nnmbe.r belonging to their com- 
mand were absent on a seont looking 
for Bob Tate. 

The spokesman for the heel flies was 
evidently "bluffed," and began to weak- 
en. He" said that being overpowered he 
would have to yield, out he first want- 
ed to know that the captain was alive 
and safe, and if so, he would surrender 
the Mexican in exchange. I spoke up 
and said: "We do not propose giving 
vou all four of these men even for that 
Mexican., We want a little boot in this 
trade. You have a a pair of mules you 
seized when you took that Mexican; we 
want those mules and besides, if you 
have any other prisoners, we want and 
are goirig to have them. Wher'e are 
those two men you arrested on the Nav- 
idad?" 

"We have four white men and the 
Mexican. I don't think you men ought 
to demand the Mexican. The mules he 
had belonged to a Mrs. Cox near Colum- 
bus; some of our company know the 
mules, and that Mexican stole them,and 
we caught him after he had ridden all 
night and the d — ^d greaser ought to be 
hung. We are going to return those 
mules to the rightful owner." 

"All right, sir! We want those mules 
right now. The Mexican is not a thief 
he was in my employ, and I intrusted 
him with those mules and he was on his 
way to headquarters when you arrested 
him." 

"Say my friend," said Tate: "You are 
fooling away too much time here," and 
wheeling toward our men he shouted 
"C-o-m-p-a-n-y, advance!" The boys 
came forward in a swinging trot with 
pistols drawn. Turning to the heel fly 
Tate said: "Will you bring out those pri- 
soners and those mules?" "Yes I will 
produce them at once,but captain it looks 
like it would be fair to bring up our 
men. We are willin ' to do the right 
thing." Tate then said to one of the 
boys in a very authoritive. loud tone, 
"Ride back to the command and ask 
Captain GoUihar to order a detail of two 
men and bring those four prisoners for- 
ward — those who belong to the Colorado 
Home Guards." 

Hearing this peremptory order, and 
doubtless believing that he was almost in 
the j^rasp of an army of blood-tMrst^ 



desperadoes, the heel flj' man hastened 
back to his company and by the time our 
men, (detailed by Captain Gollihar. who 
was all the while in the ranks) arrived, 
the prisoners held by the heel tiies were 
being brought forward. They were all 
liandcuffed and poor Ciriaco had a woe- 
begone look until he recognized me in the 
crowd. When they came up I said, 
"Where are those mules and this Mexi- 
can's horse, saddle and blankets. There's 
going to be trouble (I here substitute the 
word trouble. I used a "more emphatic 
word) if those mults and horse are not 
forthcoming at once." "One of the men 
who is out on a scout is riding the horse ; 
the mules will be here presently." spoke 
up one of the heel flies, a lad about my 
own age and size. I had dismounted 
and was standing with one hand resting 
on Ciriaco 's shoulder and when the 
young chap made that statement con- 
cerning the horse, every word of which 
the Mexican understood, he said to me in 
a low tone: "Mentira, mi caballo y las 
mullas allistan atados en el bosque cerca 
del campo." (He lies: My horse and the 
mules are tied there in: the grove near 
the camp.) Turning on this little heel 
fly .spokesman. I said, "You lie like the 
miserable thief that you are. This Mexi- 
can's horse is tied in that grove with the 
mules and these dickerings have to stop 
right now until that stock and every- 
thing this Mexican had when you arrest- 
ed him is restored." Tate gave force to 
my remarks by ordering the men to get 
read.v for business. A man older than 
the young heel fly realizing that matters 
were aboiit to assume a serious phase, 
chimed in: 'Don't, gentleman, don't be 
toohasty, the young man is just mistaken. 
The horse and also the mules will be here 
in a minute." 

Prom our position we could see some 
tall hustling about that camp. A bridle 
here, a saddle blanket, a morral, a rope, 
a quirt, was fished out there and each 
article was quickly brought out. Ciriaco 
said to me, "Estos ladrones me robado 
de mi pistola y el poco dinero lo que 
traigo," (Those thieves have stolen my 
pistol and the little amount of money I 
brought along.) I mentioned this fact to 
the spokesman and told him his 
captain was there to testify that not an 
article was taken from him or his men 
during their captivity and that this 
Mexican's property even to the last 
farthiug had to be restored. At Uub thu 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



87 



captain confirmed what I had said and 
ordered that my demands be couiplied 
with. 

While I was engaged in looking to 
the delivery of those mules and attend- 
ing to Ciriaco's interests, Mr. Tate and 
Mr. Bast were attending to the claims of 
the other four men whom we had liberat- 
ed. They also had been robbed and de- 
manded either remuneration or restora- 
tion. The horse and saddle of one was, 
without a doubt, ab.sent and could not be 
delivered. Several horses were led up 
and he was ordered by Tate to take his 
pick, but be careful and not take a bet- 
ter horse than the one he had lost. He 
chose the best horse, bridle and saddle 
in the layout, and after the war, 1 was 
told that three days later, these same 
heel flies run him and recaptured him, 
his hor.se and equipment. The pony 
they had first taken from him, it was 
said was an old plug that could not head 
a cow. While all this was in progress, 
I noticed that Ciriaco wore an old dilapi- 
dated wool hat, a piece of headgear quite 
different to that he wore at Columbus, 
and I asked him if he had been swapping. 
Pointing to a young chap who was stand- 
ing in front of the camp, he told me that 
fellow had his hat, and that it was a forc- 
ed swap. I stated the facts to the cap- 
tain, who called the lad by name, and or- 
uered him to bring out that Mexican's 
hat. He obeyed, and as he approached, 
Ciriaco seized his own sombrero, a very 
stylish and costly affair, and threw the 
old hat on the ground, stamped upon it 
and kicked it away. The j'oung heel 
fly picked it up ajid sheepishly slunk otf. 
All demands being met, cutis were re- 
moved from our prisoners and they were 
once more free. Crit Uollihar insisted 
on keeping the handcuffs, saying that 
he might nave use for them some other 
time. Joe Tate gave his little captain 
some wholesome advice before leaving. 
He told him who he was and assured him 

that he was going to stay around home, 
anid that no set of heel flies could take 
him. He told him that he would do well 
to take his little gang of thieving boys 
and go home, and allow them to assist 
the women in making a crop of corn with 
which to feed the .starving soldiers in the 
army, and closed by warning him that 
swift vengeance would be visited on him 
and his outfit if any one in that section 
was further molested. 

By this time the day was far spent, 
the sun was lO'W in the west, and bidding 



the liberated captain and his brave (?) 
command goodbye we set out on our re- 
turn to the Somers thickets, having ac- 
complished far more than we expected. 

When we reached our lair, we found 
two of our men, who, being out on watch 
failed to join us that evening. They re- 
ported that the Victoria company was at 
Wallace's Mill a short distance below, 
and that several of that outfit evidently 
had been scouting through the country 
that day. They knew nothing of the 
Clinton company or any other layout 
that might be in that vicinity. 

After we appeased our appetites on 
beef, roasted over the coals, I told the 
boys that that country wasn't quite large 
enough to hold me any longer. I thank- 
ed them for their generous aid in the re- 
lease of my Mexican and the recapture 
of my mules, and the only means by 
which I could return the favor was to 
pilot them safely into Mexico, a place 
where home guards dared not molest and 
where heel flies confined their operations 
to old cows in the spring tim?. Twenty- 
two in all declared their willingness to 
go. Some were ready to start then, 
others were not quite ready; they had 
to go home and make certain prepara- 
tion, etc. After much planning and dis- 
cussion, it was finally agreed that we 
.vould postpone our departure until the 
following night, at which time we would 
;dl get together and make the start. As 
a number of the men lived near the Ger- 
man church, a short distance from where 
the town of Hope is now situated, it was 
agreed to meet there for the start at 10 
o'clock, and not later than 10:;10 p. m. 
Should for any cause, those arriving find 
that it would be unsafe to asemble there, 
then we were to rendezvous about a mile 
further one, and at the back of the field 
owned by. an honest and inoffensive old 
German by the name of Hample. Each 
man was advised to come with three or 
four days' rations of bread and also a 
supply of bacon and dried beef, if it 
could be had, but not to come overbur- 
ened with baggage. 

The German church was about six 
miles southwest fiom Mr. McDonald's 
and having a night and a day before me, 
I resolved to go over and tell the folks 
goodbye. Four of the men announced 
their willingness to accompany me. 

When the .sun had gone down, we 
separated, I and my crowd of six, in- 
cluding my.self, rode out near the open 
woods, where we halted until darkness 



38 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



overspread the earth. Ciriaco led one 
of the mules and one of the men, a Mr. 
Kendrick, led the other, while I rode in 
advance. When near the Heath place, 
I halted the men in a copse of timber and 
rode down to Dr. Bellah's house. The 
doctor was away on a professional call, 
but his niece, Miss Olivia Chandler, who 
lived in the family cnrae out and answer- 
ed my inquiries. ( Miss Chandler after- 
wards married Wm. Gafford. She has a 
son, J. A. Gafford at Silver Valley, Texas 
and a daughter, Mrs. Smith living in 
East San Angelo.) She heard of our af- 
fair at Mayo's Mill that evening, and 
the greatest excitement prevailed 
throughout the settlements. Men had 
been passing going in the direction of 
Mayo's since just before sundown, and 
they were seemingly iui haste. The re- 
port had gone out that we had captured 
tlie entire Colorado company , carried 
away all their horses and left the men 
tied to trees. To avoid meeting with 
any of the.se heel flies, she directed me 
to follow a route different to any I had 
xollowed before in going to Mr. Mc- 
Donald's. This rt.ute we %)ur,sued, and 
reached Mr. McDonald's between nine 
and ten o'clock. Approaching within 
a quarter of a mile of the house, 
I concealed my men in the brush near 
the road, dismounted and went on foot 
to reconnoiter. I knew I could depend 
on the old darkey to find out if the way 
was clear, and cautiously approaching 
the cabin, I called to him to come out 
and direct me in the road leading to Mr. 
Hogan's. In answer to my inquiries h* 
said, in his serio comic way: "Shuah, 
dem same heel flies is heah yit, only dey 's 
mo' done cum. Dey mus' a got some 
kind o' news dis even' late, as dey was 
a pow'ful scatterment 'mong 'em. Ah 
donno; dey's a big dance ober at Marse 
Carpenter s and dey mout been done 
gome to dat dance. Deys' all gone but 
three, an' dey's siayin' to git de per- 
vishuns what dey wanted cooked. Marse 
McDonald's wimmin folks is cookin' 
hard as dey can an, my ole 'oman is cook- 
in' braid to' 'em too. Dey said dey 
wanted dem wittuls (victuals) foah mid- 
night. ' ' 

"Is Mr. McDonald there?" 

"Yas sah, yes sah. Marse A. B. is 
dah." 

"Well, say, uncle, can't you slip over 
there and tell the girls I am here again ? ' ' 

' ' Cose I kin, but yfKl stay 'way dar in 



de dark; dem heel flies mought be cam- 
in' down heah to git dat braid." 

In a very short time Jesse and one 
of the girls came. Quite a number of 
the Clinton company had been there, 
coming and going all day. That even- 
ing a runner came in post haste and 
brought orders for every man to be at 
Mayo's Mill by sun up in the morning, 
and that a combined attack was to be 
made on the Somers thicket. The men 
camped at Mrs. Tate's were going to 
leave that night, so said Mr. Harper, who 
had left the house not half an hour ago. 
There was a dance at old man Carpen- 
ter's about half a mile distant, and a 
number of the men were attending the 
function. Late in the evening and after 
this runner had left, they had ordered 
their father, Mr. McDonald, to have a 
quantity of corn bread cooked by mid- 
night, and they were now performing 
the unwelcome task. The three men 
left at the house were of the Clinton 
gang and were mere boys, and were mad 
because they, too, could not attend the 
dance. 

I told them of the men I had staked 
out and that I would be at the house 
presently with my crowd, and for them 
to keep quiet as there would be no rucas 
raised. 

Mr. McDonald had plenty of corn 
and top-fodder, and leading my men 
round to the lot, we dismounted and fed 
our stock. We then went into the house 
and found three heel fly friends in the 
kitchen, having a gay time talking to 
the girls while they were cooking. I 
told these young men that they ought to 
be with their command at Mayo's millj 
that the "brush-busters" had cleaned up 
the Colorado company that evening and 
every available man was ordered to as- 
semble at Mayo's by daylight the next 
morning. In reply to their questioms I 
told them we belonged to the Victoria 
company and were then en route to the 
place of rendezvous, and had come by to 
see if we could get some bread. Certain- 
ly. They were having bread cooked and 
would divide. Mr. McDonald's folks 
were mighty fine folks and they never 
turned a poor hungry soldier away 
empty. Did we come by where the 
dance was going on? They were nearly 
dead to go to the danee, but they had 
been left to attend to the cooking of that 
bread. One of my men, Mr. Hamersley, 
suggested that, being tired and not ear- 
ing for th« dance, we would look after 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



the rations, and they might go to the 
ball. They were delighted over the 
proposition and were off in a jiffy, leav- 
ing us complete masters of the situation. 
When they had gone, Mr. and Mrs. 
McDonald, Jesse and the girls gathered 
round us in the kitchen to hear the story 
of the day's happenings, the three men 
who had remained in the kitchen with 
me, went out, saying they preferred be- 
ing outside on the lookout. 

Mr. McDonald showed uneasiness 
and said those men at the dance were 
liable to appear any moment and that 
while entirely welcome, yet, I was by no 
means safe. He said I was very im- 
prudent and would certainly be taken be- 
fore I got out of the country if I did not 
use more caution. He wanted to see 
those mules that had caused me so much 
trouble, and I had to go with him to the 
lot, where, in the dim starlight, after 
examining 4;hem closely, he gravely 
shook his head and said: "Too good a 
pair of mules. You'll niever get through 
with 'em." I called Oiriaco and the 
others and told ihem to prepare to 
mount. With Mr. Me. I went back in 
the kitchen to bid adieu. Kind good 
Mrs. McDonald — everybody called her 
"Aunt Martha" — ha-d a sack of that 
bread and a small sack of sweet potatoes 
ready for us to take along. She said 
we had as well have that bread as the 
heel flies. One of the girls gave me a 
woolen neck scarf, another a pair of 
woolen mits — all their own make. 

It was with a feeling of sadness and 
dread that I turned away from that ho.s- 
pitable home and rode out into the dark- 
ness, not knowing what ill or good for- 
tune the future held in store for me. 

One of the men with me knew the 
road leading to the German church, and 
taking the lead he held a .steady gait 
until, when we had covered four or live 
miles, we left the road and he piloted us 
to the home of a Mr. Cherry, whose son 
had been with us in the thickets, and was 
of the number who had agreed t9 go 
with me to Mexico. Back of Mr. Cher- 
ry's field, in a creek bottom, we bivouac- 
ed in a thicket, where amid the torments 
of a swarm of mosquitoes, we remained 
until the following night. Mr. Cherry 
was very kind to us and invited me to 
dine at the table, but I declined, prefer- 
ring to remain under close cover. When 
we breakfasted the morning after our ar- 
rival at Cherry's I noticed that my four 
white comrades had a good supply of 



bread, and when questioned, they ad- 
mitted that when they left the kitchen 
to go on the lookout the night before, 
they went to the old negro's cabin and 
told the old darkey that they had come 
afer that bread, and the old slave, think- 
ing they were the heel flies who had or- 
dered the bread, willingly gave it into 
their hands. I had told tliem of the 
cooking arrangements before we ap- 
proached Mr. McDonald's house. 

About an hour after nightfall, with 
Mr. Cherry's son, Rob, as pilot, we set 
out for the appointed place of rendez- 
vous, the German Methodist church. 
When we came in sight of the place, we 
saw that the house was lighted up, and 
found, upon inquiry, that it was prayer 
meeting night. We rode into a wood 
near the church and dismounted, having 
decided to wait an hour for our expect- 
ed recruits. It had been two years 
since I had attended church, except on 
a few occasions when, as sightseer, I had 
attended services in Catholic churches 
in Mexico. It was with an effort that 
I repressed the impulse to become one 
among those humble, devout worship- 
]ierK. IiT my early years I had received 
])ioiis instructions and had been taught 
to bt' i-cligious by God-fearing Methodist 
parents, whose rule was to take the chil- 
dren to the house of God on regular oc- 
casions. I withdrew from the men and 
came near the house. I heard the de- 
vout leader of that little meeting offer 
the opening prayer. He prayed for 
the poor soldiers in the field, the sick, 
the hungry, the wounded, and the dying. 
He prayed for those laboring under af- 
fliction and bereavement at home, pray- 
ed for the enemy and prayed God to 
hasten the end of that unholy war. They 
sung those same old hymns that I had 
heard and learned when a little child, 
and their .sad, .sweet, melody foreiblj- re- 
called to mind the days when I wa.> a 
happy boy in the old home. I was now 
a waif, a cast-away, a wanderer, and be- 
ing pursued by relentless men. These 
latter thoughte disturbed me little, but 
the melody of those hymns overcame me 
and I sat down and wept as a child 
and implored the Father to bestow that 
merciful protection that He h:is given 
me through all these subsequent years. 
After waiting about an hour and 
none of our men appearing we went 
to the back ofthe Hample field and 
found several in waiting. By 10 o'clock 
we counted noses and there were pre- 



40 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



sent twenty-one men and two boys. 
These latter I supposed to be not over 14 
years old, and havinp; learned of our 
plans from some of our men, had run off 
from hom expecting to go with me to 
Mexico. I ordered them, to go home. 
About 10:30, the appointed hour, we set 
forth on onr long and perilous journey 
to the Rio Grande. The sun was an 
hour high next morning when we cross- 
ed the Guadalupe, a mile or so below 
where Cuero now stands. We remain- 
ed in the brush along the river bottom 
all day and at nightfall we mounted and 
headed for the San Antonio river below 
Goliad. A young man named Walton 
knew the country and served as guide. 
At sunrise we were on the west bank of 
the San Antonio river, where we found 
good grass and a snug place of conceal- 
ment. Our breakfast was not tempting. 
Dried beef, a few potatoes roasted ini the 
fire, and corn bread which by constant 
attrition had become a mass of crumbs. 
Mr. Walton stated that our position was 
secure, it being an oiit of the way place, 
and that the nearest house was nearly a 
mile distant and that a man named In- 
man lived there, tliat he was a Union 
man and always worked a good number 
of Mexicans. This piece of information 
was gratifying indeed, and calling Ciria- 
co to one side, I directed him to mount 
and ride over to Mr. Inman"s and learn 
all he could from any Mexicans that he 
might chance to meet and then come 
back and report. In an hour's time he 
was back and stated that two or three 
Mexican families were on the place, be- 
sides la familia del dueno de la hacienda; 
that there had been no soldiers in that 
])art of the country for several days. 
Tlius finding my way clear, I mounted 
and went up to the ranch. Miss Inman, 
the pretty lady interpretor who so gen- 
erously came to my rescue at Goliad, 
gave a cordial greeting and expressed 
a great surprise at seeing me at her 
liome. In the best English I could com- 
mand, I told her tliat having occasion to 
pass through the country toward the 
Rio Grande and having heard that she 
lived near, I had called to tender my 
gratitude for her generous sympathy 
and the part she played in securing my 
release from the little captain and his 
heel flies at Goliad, that I had learned 
that her father was a Unionist and for 
that cause was being hounded off the 
earth by these same Home Guards. She 
led the wax i^to the sjttmg r oom where 



I was presented to other members of the 
family, and I was made to feel once 
more I was in the house of friends. A 
I\Iexican servant put my horse in the lot 
and fed him well, while I, when the noon 
hour came, was the guest of honor at a 
real old-time family feast. 

During my stay, I had related some 
of the events of my trip, and my start 
back to Mexico and our travels at night 
instead of day. Miss Inman did not 
think I would encounter any serious dan- 
ger until we reached the west bank of 
the Nueces, and wLen informed that we 
would resume our journey at nightfall, 
she a.sked that we send a couple of men 
for provisions, which she would have 
ready. I gratefully accepted her offer 
and Avhile preparing to tell her goodbye 
and be off, Ciriaco advanced from a 
group of his countrymen and brought 
forward a Mexican who wanted to go 
with us. 

He was the pelado who had stayed 
all night with me in the guard house at 
Goliad! He recognized me at once and 
with exuberant joy invoked the bless- 
ings of all the saints upon my devoted 
head. All he wanted was an oppor- 
tunity to show his gratitude for my 
kindness to him while he was in bonds 
with not a friend near. Don Ciriaco 
had told him of the mules. He had no 
hor.se, no tengo caballo, but he could 
ride one of those mules and that would 
save the trouble of leading it. He would 
saddle and unsaddle my horse, he would 
be my mozo. I asked Miss Inman 
about this man and she said that as no 
witness appeared against him at Goliad 
he was relea.sed and later found his way 
to their place,. She advised me to 
watch him in case I let him go along, as 
she had put him down as bad hombre. 
After leave taking of this ho.spitable 
family I mounted and saying to the pe- 
lado, "I guess you can go with us if it 
is agreeable with Ciriaco." I set off 
for our camp. When we reached camp 
I told Ciriaco that this Mexican whom we 
nicle- named Zarco on account of a glazy 
blemish in one of his eyes, was to be 
strictly under his charge ; that it was on 
his solicitations that I had consented to 
his going with us, and that he would be 
held responsible for his conduct. Two 
days had not elapsed when we all regret- 
ted having ever seen El Zarco. 

When Texas seceded from the Union, 
the United States troops were with- 
drawn from all forts along the border 



HEEL PLY TIME IN TEXAS 



41 



from Red River to the mouth of the Rio 
Grande, thus leaviijg exposed to the In- 
dians all the settlements along the fron- 
tier. The state inaugurated at once a 
very wise system of frontier defense, the 
efficiency of which proved to be far 
superior to that emloyed by the federal 
government after the war. 

A well defined line along the border 
was drawn from Red River to the Gulf. 
All men subject to military service and 
who lived beyond or outside of that line 
were exempt from service in the Confed- 
erate army, but were required to organ- 
ize into companies and one half of each 
company was required to be on patrol or 
scout duty all the time. The Medio 
river, which is about 15 pr 20 miles west 
of Goliad, was said to be on this line at 
the time of which I write. Beyond, or 
west of the Medio there were no home 
guards, such as we had encountered as 
heel flies, and our only peril lay in the 
possibility of meeting or falling in with 
soldiers going to or returning from 
army posts along the lower Rio Grande. 

Leaving the San Antonio river at 
dark, we rode as far as the Medio, where 
we dismounted, mounted guard and re- 
mained until morning. The next even- 
ing late we reached the Nueces, about 
two miles above San Patricio, only to 
find the bank full I was in favor of 
swimming our horses over, as the stream 
was narrow, but a majority of the boys 
were against taking the risk. I argued 
that it would not be prudent to under- 
take to cross at the ferry at San Patricio, 
as there would likely be a number of 
soldiers there and they might cause 
us trouble. But I was over-ruled, 
and to San Patricio we went. As we 
passed through the little Irish village, 
we saw very few people, but when we 
approached the river an animated scene 
came into view. There were several 
wagon trains loaded with cotton en 
route to Brownsville, mule and ox trains, 
Mexican, German and American. On 
the opposite bank were camped trains re- 
turning from the Rio Grande, laden with 
government supplies and merchandise. 
All these with daily additions were 
waiting for the river to become fordable, 
as the little ferry boat was too small to 
bear up the heavy wagons. It was sun- 
down when we rode boldly into this vast 
encampment with its bright camp fires 
and incessant din of ox and horse bells 
and shouts of herdsmen. I asked for 
the ferrj^man and was told that he had 



just gone over with his boat, but would 
be back in a few minutes. We rode to 
the water's edge, dismounted and wait- 
ed for the coming of the boat. El Zar- 
co, our pelado, had ridden one of the 
mules without saddle since leaving the 
Inman place, and complained of being 
muy cansado (very tired) and in great 
misery. Several gathered round and a 
few questions were asked as to where we 
were from and to where bound.etc. We 
gave evasive replies to these questions, 
which seemed to be entirely satisfactory. 
It was about an hour after dark when 
we all got over, and we rode out about 
a half mile and camped near a small 
lake, known as Lago Cayman, or Lake of 
the Alligator. 

We were all greatly fatigued with 
the day's hard riding, and being, as we 
thought, beyond the pale of any serious 
danger, a spirit of security seemed to 
possess the men. No one wanted to 
stand guard; it was useless, they con- 
tended; we would not be molested and 
all were too tired and sleepy to keep 
watch. I insisted, begged and persuad- 
ed until they reluctantly yielded. I kept 
watch the first two hours and it was 
onlj'^ by continued walking and moving 
about and around the horses that I kept 
awake. Sleep seemed to envelop me as 
a mantle and several times I came near 
yielding to its influence. At about 11 
o'clock I turned in, after calling Ciriaco 
to go watch until 12. At 12 o'clock he 
came in and Wiley Clampit and young 
Kendrick went out. 

I was up at dawn and found Clampit 
and Kendrick were still out. When it 
was sufficiently light to see well I dis- 
covered that oiir stock was scattered, and 
I could see no one on duty. I found 
Clampit and Kendrick asleep under a 
liuisache bu«h near the edge of the chap- 
aral. Ciriaco's horse and Clampit 's 
saddle were gone, and El Zarco was no- 
where in sight. Ciriaco hastened to the 
ferry, but no horseman had passed that 
way. In our search Ciriaco had met up 
with a Mexican named Feliciano Torres, 
who told him that the place where we 
camped was the most noted of any spot 
on the road from Goliad to King's ranch. 
Seldom a night passed that some camper 
was not robbed at Lago Cayman. He 
said a few miles above was the "Rin- 
con" — a big bend in the river — and this 
bend was one vast wilderness of chaparal 
and tanglewood. He stated that this 
bend afforded a coaveAieat hiding place 



42 



HEEL FLY TI ME IN TEXAS 



for thieves and their stolen stock. This 
information led to the conclusion that 
El Zarco had gone to the Rincon. but I 
ordered out men in twos to scout in five 
directions With Ciriaco and othets I 
went to explore the Rincon, leaving the 
other remaining men to guard camp. 

Two miles above La go CajTnan we 
came to a ranch occupied by a Dr. Cox, 
a brother to Rev. Ivy H. Cox, a pioneer 
and Methodist preacher in the West 
Texas Conferenc. With the doctor re- 
resided his son-in-law, Jack Cook, and 
wife. The ranch they occupied was on 
the site of Old Fort San Miguel, where 
a desperate battle was fough and won 
by the Texans during the Revolution. 
The ruins of the old fort still remained 
and overlooked a beautiful lake in the 
valley belaw. While at the ranch and 
just before leaving I noticed a very 
comely looking young chap who, while 
clad in citizen's clothing, wore a Federal 
cavalryman's hat, such as I had seen the 
First and Second Texas, U. S. A., wear 
during Banks' ocupation of Brownsville. 
The young man seemed preoccupied with 
his own thoughts and appeared to shun 
or ratlier hold himself aloof from others. 

Mr. Cook kindly consented to assist 
me in the exploration of the Rincon. I 
had engaged the Mexican, Feliciano, and 
his brother on account of their know- 
ledge of the Rincon and with these two 
Ciriaco, Mr. Cook and myself, five in all, 
we struck out for the big bend. While 
riding along ray mind reverted to the 
sad-looking stranger I had observed at 
the ranch, and I a.sked Mr. Cook if he 
was a member of the family. "No; that 
fellow is a prisoner," was his blunt re- 
ply. 

From the beginning of the blockade 
until, the fall of the Confederacy the 
Federal's maintained a body of troops 
on San Padre Island, just out from Cor- 
pus Christi. Occosionally the Yankees, 
finding the way clear, would come across 
to tile mainland, in small parties, well 
mounted, and round up a bunch of fat 
cattle for beef. A short while previous 
to my arrival with my outfit, a squad of 
these soldiers had landed at Penescal be- 
low Corpus and bad been captured by 
Cook and some of his crowd. Instead 
of paroling these men they decided to 
hold tliem, farm them out, and each man 
to keep his prisoner on the principal of a 
.sort of peonage. There was no chance 
of escape. It was a long way to the 
Rio Grande. It was 30 miles to the 



nearest point on the coast. Corpus, and 
the avenues of possible escape were well 
guarded. This Yankee was being held 
by a member of Richardson's company 
who lived just across the river above San 
Patricio. He was given the liberty of a 
"trusty" and was permitted to visit Mr. 
Cook at his pleasure. I decided to 
liberate that Yankee. The heel flies had 
accused me of having stolen those mules 
I would now try to steal a Yankee, if 
the Yankee wa.s willing. 

We had not proceeded far into the 
Rincon when we heard two shots and a 
whoop in the direction from whence we 
came. I understood the signal and we 
hurried back to learn that Kendrick and 
Clampit had found a trail where two 
horses had put into the river and their 
tracks where they went out on the op- 
posite side were plainly visible. When 
Ciriaco examined the tracks he declared 
they were those of his horse. We had 
no time to lose. Following Mr. Cook's 
suggestion, two men were to swim the 
horses over and follow the trail. Two 
others were to go up on the south side 
of the river to the old Beeville crossing, 
cro.ss over and travel down the river 
until they should meet the two on their 
way up the river. Owing to the great 
bend in the river those going going up 
the south side would have a much short- 
er distance to travel and would stand a 
chance to head off the thieves should 
they keep near the narrow bottoms. 

We remained until my scouts had 
disappeared, and then returned to camp. 
During the evening some of our scouts 
came in and reported that they had 
found no trace of the missing man and 
horse. Early the next morning Wil- 
liams and I mounted the mules and 
went up to the ranch, entertaining a 
hope that possibly we might hear some- 
thing from the boys who were from the 
boys who were still out. 1 had resolved 
to keep those mules under my eyes from 
that time on, hence the reason for having 
ridden them that morning. 

Mr. Cook was like all old Texans in 
those days, generous to a fault when at 
his house, and while you were welcome 
to .stay as long as you wished, yet he 
would employ any and all arts to blister 
j'ou in a horse trade. Drl Cox, was a 
Virginian. 

Mr. Cook, the Doctor and the Yan- 
kee, who was introduced to me as Mr. 
Stanfield, were going several miles up 
the river that morning and pressed us 



HEEL PLY TIME IN TEXAS 



43 



to go along. The Doctor took the lead 
and piloted us to an old rnin in which 
he seemed to take some interest. This 
ruin was about four miles above th-,- 
ranch, and stood on an eminence over- 
looking the river valley on the east and 
south, while to the north a short distance 
away a small creek ran by and emxjtied 
into the Nueces. The walls were of 
white, soft limestone and were hoary with 
age. The ruin was known among the 
Mexicans and the few Irish and Ameri- 
cans in that region as "Casa Blanca" 
(white house), but no one professed to 
know its builders or for what purpose it 
ha-d been erected. From the Casa Blan- 
ca we went to the Mann ranch a few 
miles above. This fine property 
was owned by a Mrs. Mann, and her 
horse and cow brand — a running M — 
was known from the San Antonio to the 
Rio Grande. We found the place 
wholly abandoned. The beautiful re- 
sidence stood with doors ajar, and the 
silence of desolation brooded over the 
surroundings. Dr. Cox dismounted and 
led the way. In the rooms, once lux- 
uriantly furnished, still remained some 
of the furniture, but that which held my 
attention most was the once magnificent 
library. Prom early childhood I had 
been a "book worm," and here spread 
out before me was the accumulated wis- 
dom of the ages. Books on the chairs, 
on the tables, on the shelves — books 
everywhere, and for me, no time to read 
scarcely a title page. Every feature in 
this once elegant mansion betokened for- 
mer wealth, culture and refinement. The 
sons had gone away to war, while mother 
and sisters not caring to hazard their 
lives on a ranch remote from others and 
exposed to the rapacity of border ruffians 
had retired to Goliad, leaving their vast 
herds of stock and their pretty home to 
the mercies of the Bedouins of the bor- 
der. 

Cook and Williams left us and went to 
look after some stock, and we started on 
our return. When we had gone some 
distance the doctor opened a magazine 
he had secured at the ranch and began to 
read as we proceeded at a slow gait. 
This gave me opportunity to fall back 
and engage Mr. Stanfield in conversa- 
tion. I told him how I came to be there, 
my destination, etc., and if he wanted to 
escape I was there to lead him safely to 
Matamoras. He asked me if I was in 
earnest or was I jesting with him in his 
misfortune. He would gladly go; he 



would take any risk; his people m 
Illinois were well-to-do and if I would 
provide a way for his escape, I would be 
amply rewarded some day. Before reach- 
ing the ranch a plan of escape was 
agreed upon, on condition that Ciriaco's 
horse was recovered. 

As most of our stock had been on the 
grass during the day, that night we stak- 
ed them and put out our guard. It was 
a delightful clear evening, dand we sat 
around and talked on various subjects 
until a late hour, when we were startled 
by the appearance of three horsemen ap- 
proaching from the direction of the fer- 
ry. They were Ciriaco, ShofiBt and Ken- 
drick. They had caught the thieves 
and recovered the horses. Ciriaco would 
have but little to say about the capture, 
but Shoffit and Kendrck said it beat a 
circus. Near the spot where tht cap- 
ture was made, was a small mot of naqua 
trees. The two boys could not under- 
stand Spanish very well, but said they 
never heard so many "Carrajos" (a 
Mexican curse word) in all their lives. 
They stood by as spectators to see 
the fun, while Ciriaco was spokesman, 
orator and executioner. He tied El 
Zareo, the pelado, to a small naqua, 
stripped all his clothes off and whipped 
him most unmercifully with his quirt. 
The boys declared that he would have 
beaten him to death had they not inter- 
ferred and stopped the performance. 
Not being satished with the beating he 
gave him lie tore and cut every rag of 
nis clothing, even his shoes into frag- 
ments and turned him loose stark naked. 
The Mexican with EI Zarco could speak 
a little English and protested his inno- 
cence, lie was a young lad, and as they 
had no proof against his being caught in 
bad company, tney let him off easy. 

The next morning, accompanied by 
Ciriaco and three others of my most 
trustworthy men, I went up to Dr. Cox's. 
On the road I told the.se men my j^lans 
for getting the Yankee out of his trouble. 
When we reached the Doctor's it was 
quite probable that I would have no 
chance to talk with the prisoner, as my 
host would occupy all of my time, and, 
moreover, if seen talking with Stanfield 
suspicions would be aroused. One of 
the boys could get him aside and instruct 
him to be at Lago Cayman that night 
between 9 and 10 o'clock without fail. 
I had noticed while at the ranch the pre- 
vious day a McLelland saddle, the kind 
used by the Federal cavalry at Browns- 



44 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS i. 



ville, and he was to be instructed to 
bring a light army saddle, a bridk and 
a stake rope whch he could easily carry. 

We remained a couple of hours at 
Dr. Cox's. I told the Doctor and his 
family that the object of my visit was to 
thank them for the kind favors shown 
me; that I was going to leave immediate- 
ly, and sincerely hoped that at some fu- 
ture day we might meet again under 
more favorable circumstances. By way 
of parenthesis I want to say that on this 
and my previous visit I took note of the 
three sons of Dr. Cox. James, the eld- 
est, who was about my age, later became 
one of the dearest boyhood friends I 
ever knew. Alex, another son, was 
some ten or twelve years old, while the 
youngest— Lennie they called him — was 
a wee blue-eyed lad about four years 
old and was the pet of the family. He 
is now a prosperous merchant of Ozona, 
Texas, and Crockett county has not a 
more popular upright citizen than L. B. 
Cox. 

During our stay at Dr. Cox's I ob- 
served that one of our men was engaged 
in conversation with Stanfield and I 
made my stay sufficiently long to enable 
him to explain fully every detail of my 
plan. Wnen we left the ranch one of 
the men told me to be on my guard, as 
Cook had left early that morning and he 
believed he was getting his crowd to- 
gether and if possible arrest us on some 
pretext or other. He was hated by the 
^vlexicans, and at all hazards i should be 
on my guard. (While seated at his table 
writing. Cook was shot and instantly 
kilieu uy a iviexican shortly after the 
close ot the war). 

It was about 10 miles from the Nueces 
to Banquette, which was then a very 
small village on Agua Dulce creek, and 
directly on the roau to King's ranch and 
Brownsville. We rode to the Agua 
Dulce that evening leaving Banquett iwo 
or three miles to the right and went into 
the brush, struck camp and waited for 
night to shelter further operations. When 
it became dark, four of us rode back to 
Cayman and lingered there until our 
man came up with his saddle and bridle 
swinging aero.ss his shoulder. We had 
an extra hor.se ready for him and by 
midnight we were safe in camp on the 
Agua Dulce. I aroused the boys and 
told them to saddle up, we must get in 
the chaparal beyond King's ranch just 
as soon as possible. None could be in 
more need of sleep than I, but our safety 



now depended on speed in getting out 
of the country and I did not want to be 
taken, tried by court martial and shot 
for having aided in the escape of a Yan- 
kee prisoner. Daylight found us snug- 
ly emconsed in the brush where we spent 
the day, taking turns in watching and 
sleeping. In the forenoon I found time 
to study my new recruit. He told me 
of his boyhood, his home life, his enlist- 
ment and his final capture. Ho was in 
the trenches around Vicksburg during 
the siege and was with Banks when the 
latter took Brownsville. He was a mem- 
ber of the Church of United Brethren 
and had tried to live right in the army. 
He showed me a little Bible his mother 
gave him the day he marched away to 
the war. When captured by the rebels 
his little book was about all they had 
left him and when he slipped a^ay from 
his captors he had purloined a morral in 
which to safely curry this precious old 
book, which in truth, was about all the 
baggage the poor fellow had to get off 
with. That evening before resuming 
our night journey, he asked if we object- 
ed to his praying before starting. I told 
him that 1 believed in prayer, and we all 
would kneel with him. i'rom that time 
until we reached Matamoras that devout 
soldier prayed every morning and even- 
ing, and his walk and conversation 
showed that he was a noble t^npe of a 
God-fearing, faithful young Christian. 

That night after having passed King's 
ranch, we bore off in the direction of 
Rancho Los Olmes, 30 miles distant. Los 
Olmes was a quiet secluded place, far 
from the main line o.f travel, and was 
rarely visited by Americans. There were 
some five or six jacals, with as many 
families, Mexicans, and all seemed very 
poor. The country alternated between 
dense chaparal and prairie, grass was 
abundant and there was no dearth of 

i'eeling quite safe and thirty miles on 
the main line of travel we decided to rest 
at Kancho Los Olmes a couple ot days and 
give our horses needed rest. Grass was 
exellent, rich and nutrious and the sim- 
ple Mexicans were kind and ho.spitable. 
The morning after our arrival a Captain 
with .30 men, all Mexicans, belonging to 
Benevides' regiment of cavalry, C. S. A. 
came up and went into camp within fif- 
ty yards of our bivouac. 

Before unsaddling, a bunch of their 
men shot a fine beef steer that with ather 
cattle had come to the watering place, 
and while some built fires others engag- 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



45 



ed ini dressing the beef and ere long the 
aroma of barbecued meats filled the air. 
The owner of the animal came out and 
protested, the captain offered him ten 
dollars Confederate money , which was 
refused. This refusal gave the Captain 
mortal offence. He told the old Mexican 
who was being ruthlessly robbed that his 
refusal to accept the national currency 
showed that he was a traitor to his 
country and that he ought to be shot. 
He, the captain, with his men had been 
detailed to procure a large herd of beeves 
to feed the hungry soldiers that were 
fighting for their country ; he had orders 
to pay ten dollars a head Confederate 
money, (worth then about 10 cents or less 
on the dollar), and when a cattle owner 
refused that offer, he was a traitor and 
his stock would be taken and no pay 
would he get. 

These men were well mounted, armed 
and better dressed than any Confederate 
soldier I had ever seen. The captain 
offered to divide beef with us and became 
very friendly. When he asked me to 
what command I belonged I told him I 
was captain of my company and we had 
been detailed on a scout through that 
section and report to the commandant 
at Rancho Davis; that we were short of 
coffee and sugar and if he had any of 
those luxuries to spare I hoped he would 
honor a small requistion. Certainly, he 
didn't have much on hand, but he would 
be more than glad to accommodate a 
comrade in arms — and we got fourteen 
pounds of real high grade coffee and two 
dozen peloncillos — the only kind of sugar 
thej"^ had. 

In conversation, this captain admitted 
the stealing of live stock and justified 
the act by saying that it was for the bene- 
fit and maintenance of the army. He 
further stated with much humor, that 
in the organization of the regiment the 
authorities were told that if ten compan- 
ies of Mexicans were incorporated in one 
regiment with Mexican officers , they 
would steal every thing in sight from El 
Paso to Boca del Rio Grande. "Acting 
upon this advice," said he "they had at- 
tached two companies of Americans to 
our regiment and it turned out they can 
steal more in one day than we can in a 
life time. They steal cotton and grab 
the customs revenues, while we are sent 
out to press beeves and horses for the 
government and when these are driven 
across the river and sold they pocket the 
pi'ou««db, b§i'«l)r flowing us our monthly; 



pay of sixteen dollars, specie, our sugar, 
coffee, clothing etc." 

We rested two days at Los Olmes and 
in the morning we left, one of the cap- 
tain's men told Ciriaeo that they had 
rounded up over six hundred fine beeves 
during the past day and a half and that 
they would get as many more before leav- 
ing. I wi.sh to say in this connection that 
I do not vouch for the truth of this Mex-' 
ican captain's statement, I merely relate 
the story as 'twas told to me. At the 
time, I had no occasion to give it dis- 
credit. 

Our next objective point was a cross- 
ing on the Rio Grande, some miles below 
Rancho Davis. I had learned from the 
Mexican captain at Rancho Los Olmes, 
that one of the two American companies 
of his (Benavide's) Regiment was post- 
ed at Rancho Davis. Knowing the cupid- 
ity of these soldiers stationed on the Rio 
Grande, I had no desire to meet but 
rather cherished a fervent desire to 
avoid their presence. However, we 
-traveled leisurely, gave our horses ample 
time to rest and graze, when we reached 
a point about eight miles from Rancho 
Davis we fell in with two Mexicans, the 
elder of whom informed us that he owned 
a ranch four miles below Ranch Davis 
and invited us to go by and accept his 
hospitality as there was to be a baile 
(dance) at his ranehito that night and 
we would be entiely welcome. 

I sized this man up as being an all 
nound picaro,t a fawning rascal that 
would do to \yateh. We had halted 
when he and his company came upand 
after listening to his invitation to his 
fandango I told of our situation and de- 
sire to cross the river without encounter- 
ing a position from the Confederates. 
He told me that there was a hard set of 
troops at Rancho Davis, that they were 
a gang of ladrones and that they patroled 
the river mth great dilligence in order 
to arrest those who wee trying to get 
out of the Confederacy into Mexico and 
that unless a man was well acquainted 
with the country and the crossings on the 
river he would surely be caught by the 
guards if he attempted to cross. He 
knew every goat trail in the country, 
knew of a safe crossing, where the cur- 
ent was not swift, some miles below the 
Post ; a friend had a small boat there iu 
which we could cross over and swim our 
stock. He would pilot us to the place, 
procure the boat, and assist in crossing 
the horties for 4i25. 



46 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



I was posessed of a fair knowledge of 
Mexican character and proceeded to turn 
it to account. I told him we did not need 
a pilot, that some of us had a knowledge 
of the rountry and that we didn't care 
for getting our clothes wet, that we had 
crossed several rivers on this trip by 
swimming, but if he was willing to lead 
the way and secure the little boat I 
would give him siy dollars, which would 
be fair wages, for one night's work. 

After some further haggling, he accept- 
ed the offer and asked us to go to his 
ranch and get supper before going fur- 
ther. At the ranch we found that prep- 
arations were being made for a grand 
baile that night, The women were cook- 
ing tortillas, tamales, chili con came and 
brewing coffee. These refreshments 
were to be served only to tho.se able to 
pay for them. The orchestra was al- 
ready on the grounds and regaled our 
attentive ear with choice selections from 
their repertoire. The orchestra consis- 
ted of only three pieces; a wheezy old 
fiddle, a clarionetto that bore a very an- 
cient appearance, and a barrel ^\^th a 
rawhide stretched over the ends. This 
rude instrument served as a drum and 
at each interlude, amateurs almost 
fought for the privilege of pounding the 
vibrant rawhide. Quite a number had 
assembled and the national game, monte, 
was in evidence. Seated on a blanket 
spread upon the ground, the man with 
two or three dollars in small change and 
a deck of Mexican cards, could open a 
Monte bank, and unless some shrewd 
compadre with sufficient wealth to t^p, 
win and break his pile, was liable to 
play all night and go home the next day 
with about the same amount of money. 
Among these rancho's "bucking at Mon- 
te'' is a craze, and women, old and 
young, crowd the card table the same as 
the men. 

I cautioned the boys to stay close to- 
gether and to keep an eye on our stock, 
which was tethered nearby. We were 
in a tough crowd among whom, judging 
from their looks, were men who for a 
dollar would "cut a throat or scuttle a 
ship", if opportunity offered. We par- 
took freely of their food preparations, 
paying for all we consumed and at dusk 
we rounded up our compadre and set out 
for the river, which without mishap we 
crossed and found ourselves safe at last. 
On the west bank of the river, we slept 
soundly, refreshingly and undisturbed, 
and the sun was up shiuuing brightly 



when we arose to breakfast on a scant 
ration of dried beef. But we were 
happy; overjoyed at the thought of hav- 
ing reached a country where Home 
Guards and conscript officers could not 
disturb or molest, and we thought that 
Stanfield's prayer of thanksgiving for 
deliverance was longer and more fervent 
than usual that morning. 

From the place of our bivouac on the 
west bank of the Rio Grande we pursued 
a southwesterly course through chaparala 
and nopal until we came to the Camargo 
and Matamoras ropd. This was one of 
the most prominent highways in the 
valley and we had not proceeded far 
along this road in the direction of Matai- 
moras when we met a company of sol- 
diers. Thej' belonged to the liberal or 
Juarez forces and by their enemies, the 
Imperialists were called Rojos, liberales, 
and guerrillas. The lieutenant, who 
commanded this squad, informed us that 
the French army had taken Monterey 
and were advancing on Matamoras and 
that the Liberal General, Menez, was 
concentrating his forces for the defense 
of the city and that we were likely to 
see some desperate fighting before an- 
other week had passed. 

Nothing daunted, we pushed forward 
and in due time, reached the end of our 
journey. 

Matamoras is situated on the south 
bank of the Rio Grande and the country 
away from the citj-, south, north, and 
M-est, is one vast plain and the spires of 
the city may be seen from a great dis- 
tance. It was with feelings of extreme 
delight that I beheld once more the tall 
steeples over the great cathedral and as 
we rode into the city late in the evening, 
no music ever sounded sweeter than 
those evening bells, as they rang out 
from the great belfry at the cathedral. 

After supper Mr. Cox was sent for, 
and his joy and surprise was excessive. 
He remained with us until morning and 
had many questions to a.sk concerning 
his family on the Colorado. I placed in 
his hands the quirt which he gave me, 
five weeks before, and told him his good 
wife, with her own hands, had extracted 
from its concealment the letter he had 
enclosed for her and in its stead had 
placed a reply. 

There were no banks in Matamoras at 
the time of which I write and many 
An;iericaas, Mr. Cox among others, kept 
their money in the safe in the consulate. 
The morning after our arrival Mr. Cox 



HEEL FLY TIME IN TEXAS 



47 



asked me to go to the consul's ofB,ce and 
he would pay me. He suggested that 
we all — my entire crowd — go over and 
call on the consul. This we agreed to 
and saddling our .stock we mounted and 
with the two mules rode over and drew 
up in front of the consulate. Mr. Cox 
went in and in a few minutes came out 
with Mr. Pierce, the consul. There 
were twenty-four all told in my crowd, 
twentj' Texans, whom I had been instru- 
mental in leading into Mexico and the 
Yankee whom we had run off with, and 
mj' man Ciriaco. The consul spoke flat- 
teringly of the achievement, took charge 
of Mr. Stanfield and retired. Mr. Cox 
paid me the $200, gold, and didn't com- 
plain at the expense account. 
* * * m 

Reader, this closes the story of "Heel 
Fly Time in Texas." I hope it has prov- 
en entertaining and instructive. I have 
made no attempt at verbal embellish- 
ment. I have stated plain, unvarni.shed 
facts. There are those li^^ng near San 
Angelo and elsewhere in West Texas, 
who know a number of the circumstances 
related, and there be those who know 
many of the parties mentioned. You 
would doubtless know something of my 
faithful Mexican, Ciriaco ; something 
more of Mr. Stanfield. 



As to the latter, a few daj's after hav- 
ing reached Matamoras, he bade me 
goodbye and stated that he was on the 
eve of departing, by water, for his com- 
mand on San Padre Island. I never 
heard more of him. 

Ciriaco re-enlistcd in the Liberal army 
under the brave General Mendez and 
fought gallantly through the war against 
the Imperialists. He was in General 
Escobedo's army at the siege of Quarre- 
tario and witnessed the execution of the 
Emperor Maximillian, June 19, 1867. He 
now lives on his hacienda near Victoria 
in the .state of Tamaulipas. 

The boys readily obtained employ- 
ment in Matamoras and I learned later 
that some of them enlisted in the Liberal 
Army under Juarez and assisted in the 
overthrow of the Maximillian empire. 

The American consul sent for me a 
few days after our arrival in Matamoras 
and offered me a handsome reward if I 
would go back into Texas and manage to 
release the San Padre Island prisoners 
that were still being held near San Pa- 
trico, but I respectfully declined, prefer- 
ring a quiet, uneventful life in Mexico, 
to the hazardous and uncertain chances 
of being chased by Home Guards during 
Heel Fly Time in Texas. 



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